The Pennsylvania coal fire that never sleeps
Right now, as you read this, a fire is burning under a soon-to-be completely abandoned town.
Smoldering beneath the quiet streets of Centralia, Pennsylvania is a fire that’s been burning for over 60 years. But this isn't the kind of fire that can be doused with water or smothered by sand; it's a relentless, continuous flame that burns beneath the surface in the abandoned coal mines that the town was built upon. This little talked about disaster is actually pretty astonishing! Because right now, as you read this, the coal mine continues to burn in Pennsylvania. Completely wild!
How the fire started
Now I’ll be honest, when I first started researching this, I did not expect this fire to start the way it did. That said, there does appear to be some debate on the exact ways in which this fire was able to continue and propagate the way it did. Regardless, this is still the closest explanation I can find even to this day:
So, back in May 1962, apparently the town made a decision to build a new landfill and clean up the town before Memorial Day, an otherwise routine and relatively benign act of community service. This new landfill would be a hole pit that was essentially 75 ft long by 300 ft wide and 50 ft deep. That last part is super key to all of this because it also happened to be built in an old strip mine. And this specific strip mine happened to be connected to the labyrinthine remnants of abandoned coal mines lying underneath the town. So what seemed like a simple act of burning trash quickly spiraled out of control as the flames found a pathway into the rich veins of anthracite coal beneath the town.
The fire that never sleeps
Over the next few decades, the subterranean fire slowly and silently crawled through the empty veins of the coal mines under Centralia. Above ground, a series of peculiar phenomena began to occur. Carbon monoxide levels escalated, the ground temperature rose, and unpredictable sinkholes began to appear. One of these sudden sinkholes nearly consumed a 12-year-old boy in his own backyard in 1981, bringing the severity of the situation to public attention.
The flames beneath the Earth didn’t just disrupt the town's normal life—they also fueled an environmental nightmare, belching smoke and dangerous gasses and spoiling the air quality. The danger grew so intense that both state and federal governments initiated relocation efforts in the 1980s, providing financial assistance for residents to move to safer ground.
What Centralia looks like today
Fast forward to the 21st century, and Centralia paints a dismal if not fascinating picture of a modern town abandoned in the United States. All that remains are desolate fields, isolated structures, and a handful of stubbornly resilient residents who refused to leave their homes despite the risks. Smoke and steam can still be seen escaping from the cracks in the earth, a constant reminder of the fire that continues to burn below.
Perhaps the most fascinating transformation is that of Route 61. Once a bustling highway, it had to be rerouted due to ground instability caused by the fire. The abandoned section, known as the Graffiti Highway, stands as a testament to Centralia's past, its surfaces adorned with a colorful array of street art.
While its population may have dwindled, weird because of the fire today, Centralia's popularity has surprisingly surged. The town's eerie charm and intriguing history attract tourists from all over, adding a peculiar vibrancy to the ghost town. And to be fair, it’s not quite a ghost town yet! As of 2020, five residents still called Centralia, PA home, down from 10 in 2010. According to the U.S. Census, one of those five residents is under the age of 18, which must be a very odd way of growing up. Regardless, with each passing day, Centralia inches closer to becoming a complete ghost town. As each resident either leaves, or passes away, the homes of the few remaining residents will be claimed by the government once they pass away, forever sealing Centralia's destiny. So at some point in probably the not too distant future, Centralia will be completely empty.
Mining is a dirty business. Its safety and health issues are well documented. But even after their useful life as an active mine, they still pose an incredible danger to the communities that live near or on top of them. Centralia is a clear example of that. And it will remain an example until the fire ceases to burn, which could take another few centuries…
I have to hit this place one day.