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- Why Does Centralia Continue To Burn?
Summary
- The fire in Centralia has been burning for 60 years and is still blazing underneath the ground, making it a haunted abandoned town.
- Todd Domboski's fall into a sinkhole caused by the coal fires in his backyard revealed the dangers of the underground coal fire, leading to government intervention and the relocation of residents.
- Centralia remains a sad reminder of the consequences of playing with fire, with the fires predicted to burn for another 250 years and no plans to stop them.
The story of Centralia is not a happy one. This is also one of the most-visited and haunted abandoned towns on the East Coast, and even with its sad history, everyone wants the chance to see a that's been burning for 60 years, for themselves. However, the fire in Centralia is not visible, at least not on the surface. This fire burns underneath the ground, deep in the caverns that once made up this town's booming coal mining business. That was, until the day that it all caught fire and forced the residents who once lived here out of their homes.
While some have maintained permanent residences on the outskirts of the town, much of it is still blazing underneath. All that's left of the town is a restaurant, the cemetery, the church, and a graffiti highway, which has since been painted over to discourage tourists from hanging around. On some days, a trip into Centralia might mean seeing smoke rising from the cracks in the highway's asphalt, while on other days, it might mean an eerie gray fog that claims the town after a rainy morning. This imagery, combined with its tragic backstory, served as the basis for the horror game Silent Hill, much of which was modeled after many of the town's features, including its gothic-style church.
UPDATE: 2023/11/28 14:17 EST BY NOAH STAATS
Why Does Centralia Continue To Burn?
This article has been refreshed with more information regarding the Centralia fires and plans (or a lack thereof) to end the underground flames. Unfortunately, due to its depth and location, this doomed town may burn for another 250 years.
The Day The Fire Started
Centralia became home to coal mining in 1856, and the town saw a steady stream of business. The town was not a large one but rather a small town where most people knew their neighbors, and festivals were small-town events rather than ones that drew people from miles around. However, the town saw more of a local presence by 1890, and the town prospered until the stock market crash of 1929, which, in turn, hurt the coal mining industry. With roughly 1,200 residents, all but five of them (as of 2017) would soon relocate to avoid the dangers of a slowly-burning town.
On the weekend of the Memorial Day Parade in May 1962, Centralia's town officials decided to burn the trash in the town's landfill. The unfortunate incident started when there was no place for the trash to go and when the fires in the landfill took a turn for the worst, they became nearly uncontrollable, making their way underground and into the coal mines. From that point on, there was no stopping the fire from ravaging the town, as opening it up would lead to even more danger than just allowing nature to run its course. There are several theories on how the fires started in the coal mines, but according to history, this is the bottom line.
- The landfill fire that destroyed everything: In 1962, officials decided to burn trash in the landfill. This caused an uncontrollable flame to find its way to coal mine properties.
The Effects Of An Underground Coal Fire Take A Toll
Even knowing this, many people didn't realize the true risks of an underground coal fire until the 1980s. A boy named Todd Domboski fell into a sinkhole in his backyard created by the coal fires, and while he was pulled out safely thanks to the help of his cousin, a disturbing discovery was made. The ground lacked structural stability due to the fire weakening the soil and rock underneath, and the steam coming out from the holes in the town contained fatal amounts of carbon monoxide. With this information, the government took a role in Centralia's history. It paid $42 million to relocate its residence to a safer place and demolish high-risk buildings, of which there were 500 in total.
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Centralia As It Stands Today
The highway into Centralia has since been closed after it buckled due to the fires burning underneath it. Smoke was seen as recently as 2017, although those familiar with the area claim that the fire has moved onto other parts of the town, where there's even more coal to feed the flames. The locals who still call Centralia their home don't appreciate that tourists still visit, and many have made that known. Without a town police department, keeping rowdy kids out has become somewhat of a challenge, and many like to four-wheel on the abandoned graffiti highway. Many don't realize that this town is still home to residents who didn't take the government's offer back in the 1980s and are still trying to preserve what's left of a once bustling and happy town.
There has been talk of turning the town into a tourist attraction, but for many, Centralia remains a reminder of one of the country's worst coal mine fires to date. It still burns under parts of this forgotten town.
- Closed off from the world: The highway into Centralia has been closed for years.
Will Centralia Ever Be Normal Again?
As of now, Centralia in Pennsylvania remains a sad, cautionary tale of what happens when people play with fire. The fires still burn beneath the city and have been seen by people recently. Unfortunately, the coal mines that caught fire will continue to burn until they run out of fire-stroking resources. Per expert reports, this could be more than 250 years. The town will not likely ever be uninhabited again and will suffer eternal punishment from the still-burning flames.
The most unsettling part is that Centralia burns as deep as 300 feet below the ground. That is impossible to contain or end by a local fire department and would require more resources than the state or federal government is willing to provide. And, since nobody lives here, there doesn't seem to be much of a rush to improve things. People have pitched the idea of flooding Centralia, although scientists have determined this would be ineffective. We'll just have to wait it out, even if it rages on for another 250 years.
- Let it burn: Government and state officials have no plans to stop these fires.
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