Centralia Ghost Town and Fire
Underground coal mine fire burning since 1962. Enough fuel for 200 more years. Evacuated in the 1980s, nature has reclaimed the the town.
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If you could take just one photo: CO2 steam from Centralia's cemetery
Centralia, Pennsylvania is a once-populated town with an ever-burning fire below its now-deserted streets. In 1962, city trash burning in an abandoned strip mine pit ignited the coal in tunnels below. The fire still burns, despite millions of dollars spent to douse it. In 1984, Congress purchased residents’ homes, though a few people chose to remain. Most of Centralia’s homes and buildings are gone now, though smoke, steam, and gases still emit from cracks and holes in the streets. Experts say Centralia’s fire may continue to smolder and spread for the next two hundred years under the town. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which now owns Centralia, rerouted Highway 61 around it. Call the Columbia County’s Visitors Center (570-784-8279) for information on how to see Centralia.
March 22, 2012 Like
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- Megan Cytron (Editor) Congratulations! You won Honorable Mention in the Weekly Worldwide Contest.
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- Megan Cytron (Editor) What an environmental and human tragedy. Have you been? Thanks for the Pioneer Tunnel recommendation--I added it as a separate place: http://www.trazzler.com/trips/pioneer-coal-tunnel-and-steam-train-in-ashland-pa
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- Adam Rugel (Editor) wow, crazy story
