Deep in the woods of eastern Pennsylvania lies a small town called Centralia. What was once a thriving coal mining town late in the late 1800s has recently been declared the least-populated municipality in all of Pennsylvania, with residency rates dropping from 1,000 to 10 in 29 years. All properties in this small town were condemned by The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Postal Service even revoked Centralia's ZIP code in 2002.
Why?
The grounds of Centralia have been burning for 54 years as a result of a devastating mine fire that initially developed in 1962. At the rate this fire is going, experts say it could continue to burn for an additional 250 years.
While there is no concrete evidence that the fire began in 1962, there are several speculations as to how this fire started. The most accepted theory is that the fire began after volunteers were cleaning up the local landfill, located near an abandoned coal mining pit. As was done in previous years, the volunteers set the trash on fire to discard it, but an opening in the pit allowed the fire to enter and spread beneath the town of Centralia.
The Bast Theory is another suggestion that claims the fire started long before the trash burning incident. The Bast Colliery fire of 1932, caused by an underground explosion, was never fully extinguished and reached the neighboring town of Centralia in 1962. Still others in the town claim it was an unseasonably hot day when a fire broke out near the landfill, thus beginning the famous coal seam fire. Perhaps Centralia will never know of the fire's true origin.
Most coal mining companies in Centralia closed in the 1960s, as it was difficult for miners to pick up again after the stock market crash. By 1984, officials offered more than $42 million for relocation efforts. Because the town was so divided as to whether the fire was directly threatening the future of Centralia, some residents relocated to neighboring towns while still others decided to remain.
The remaining residents are allowed to live out their lives in the town, but officials have the right to take their properties and homes away through eminent domain once the remaining residents are deceased.
Mine fires obviously pose great economic, social and ecologic threats. After fires on the surface have been put out, it is not uncommon for these underground fires to continue smoldering and burning for indefinite periods of time. These fires are a serious safety concern for both the environment and people of Centralia, as they have the ability to break down infrastructures, roadways and natural resources. Harmful toxins such as mercury and carbon monoxide are also continuously emitted into the atmosphere as a result of coal seam fires, which also poses as a severe health concern.
The fire is continuing to burn in a coal mine that has depths of about 300 feet and stretches for nearly eight miles. Needless to say, this tragedy has essentially removed the town of Centralia from the map, but the intriguing mystery behind this coal seam fire continues to fascinate residents and officials of the town.
It is a popular tourist destination today and with all of the attention it's receiving, who knows when it will stop burning?
