This Town Has Been on Fire for 50 Years
Very few residents remain in Centralia, Pennsylvania. Why? Well, for starters, the once-bustling mining town has been on fire for over five decades. In 1962, the Centralia city council proposed an idea to clean up a local landfill in time for Memorial Day festivities.
Deserted and Burning
The coal seam beneath Centralia was set ablaze, and the inferno spread to mine tunnels beneath the streets. Due to unsafe carbon monoxide levels, the local mines shut down. There were multiple failed attempts to put the fire out. In 1992, nearly abandoned, the town was condemned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
It's likely that Centralia will be on fire for at least 250 more years.