The Never-Ending Fire: The Real Tale of the Burning City in Pennsylvania

A century ago, Centralia was a busy small town in Pennsylvania. It had shops, residents, and a booming mining business. Today, Centralia streets have been abandoned. Most buildings are gone, and smoke clouds the air where a prosperous town once stood. The cause: a mine fire that has burned for over 50 years and is predicted to burn even longer.

Coal fires are nothing new, but it is Centralia’s legacy today. The town was founded in 1866 in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It was named after the Centralia coal company and soon became a popular mining center.

Mining defined life for most Centralia residents, from the rough and tumble residents to the seedier side of town. In the 1860s, the town was known to be home to members of the Molly Maguires, a secret society that started in Ireland and slowly made its way to the American coal mines.

In the mid-20th century, the booming coal industry began to decline slowly. There was less demand for coal, and most Centralia mines began to close. By the 1960s, only a few mines were left, which plunged the town’s economy into decline.

Interestingly, Centralia’s dependence on mining wasn’t what killed the town. Although the stock market crash and Great Depression affected Centralia in many ways, it didn’t kill their spirit. It took a great tragedy to do that.

Trash was a top issue in Centralia, and the city council wanted to eliminate the issue of unwanted odors and rats that came with it. In May of 1962, Centralia’s town council met to discuss their clogged landfill and the possibility of a new one. Earlier in the year, the town had built a 50-foot-deep pit to deal with the issue of illegal dumping.

As Centralia got ready for the Memorial Day Festivities, it decided that burning it all was the easiest and fastest way to clean up the landfill in time for the celebration. To handle this, the council hired five volunteer firefighters.

Although there are many theories about how the fire started, this dump fire seemed to be the match that lit a much larger mine fire beneath the town. The fire department lined the pit with an incombustible material hoping it would contain the fire, but they had no idea what would come.

Just two days after the landfill fire, residents began to see flames. Was there another landfill being burned? They were clueless about what had happened. The fires were put out and chalked up to a single event. But the fire was far from over.

At the bottom of Centralia’s landfill, the firefighters found a hole 15 feet wide and several feet deep. The trash had concealed this gap. Therefore, the firefighters had not filled it with fire-retardant material. They investigated further to find out where the strange hole led and were shocked at the answer.

Soon, most residents started complaining of foul odors entering their businesses and homes. They also noticed the wisps of smoke coming from the ground around the landfill. The town council was worried; what could they do?

It didn’t take a while for the fire to ignite again. It raged in a coal seam beneath Centralia and spread to mine tunnels beneath the streets and closed mines. One of the reasons the fire spread was the many underground mines in the area. 

The firefighters tried to extinguish the fire, but it was soon clear that they could do little about it. Their first attempt was to pour water tanks into the mine to douse the flame. However, the result was far from what they expected.

All attempts to stop the Centralia fire from spreading were unsuccessful. The first response by the authorities was to excavate beneath Centralia. The idea was to dig out the trenches and expose the flame so that it could go out.

The town refused to give up, determined to save their home from the strange fire. The next plan was to flush the fire using water and crushed rocks. However, the temperature was uncommonly low at the time, and this caused the water lines to freeze.

While most would skip town at the sight of smoke, the residents of Centralia were determined to save their town. They continued their daily lives, living above the hot smoking ground. The town still had about 1000 residents, and they began to learn to live with it.

Although the residents of Centralia stood strong, their town didn’t. The ground became unstable as the fire raged underneath, and its effect on the town was soon obvious. It wasn’t long before the roads and buildings in Centralia began to crack and crumble.

Some toxic gases released by fire include sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. These gases are harmful to humans and could result in respiratory problems, nausea, and headaches. The areas surrounding the town were declared hazardous, and people could no longer enter.

For a long while, the fire was underneath, and the residents only had to deal with its effects. However, soon, the fire began to break to the surface causing small fires and steam vents.

The raging fire ensured all residents, including the dead, couldn’t rest peacefully. The subsidence caused by the fire created many sinkholes in the town. These sinkholes could appear suddenly without warning and were usually several feet deep.

The fire and the resulting abandonment of Centralia by the surrounding towns significantly impacted its economy. Businesses and services that once thrived faded slowly, soon becoming a ghost town. 

By the 1970s, the fire had raged on for too long, and its effect on the town had become severe. Most residents began to experience health issues due to the toxic gases, and the ground was unstable for construction.

Despite the evacuation and the rising dangers, many residents chose to remain in Centralia. However, that changed in 1992 after an almost-tragic incident.

Eventually, the government knew they needed the incentive to make the residents leave. Therefore, they offered buyouts to the remaining residents of Centralia. The U.S. Congress allocated over $42 million for relocation efforts. 

Not everyone wanted to leave, so they chose to fight for their hometown. Over the years, the residents and the government have had many legal battles. With Pennsylvania invoking eminent domain, residents became squatters in their own homes. 

By 2013, only seven residents remained in the town, and the legal battles continued. Eventually, the jury gave a verdict that was favorable to all. The residents received over $300,000 for their homes and gained the right to stay there until they died.

Despite the dangers, the story of a burning town drew many people in. Tourists came from all over the world to see the town that had been on fire for over 50 years. People wanted to see the plumes of toxic smoke rising from the earth and the surrounding forest creeping in on its once-busy streets.

As the fire raged on, the beautiful Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church sat on a hill above the town, serving as a spark of color. The church continued to hold weekly services as the only church still standing in the once-bustling town.

One of the town’s primary highlights is the Graffiti Highway. This beautiful road was a section of Route 61 that ran from Ashland to Centralia. However, it’s now redundant due to frequent repairs.

The Eternal flame of Centralia served as an inspiration to many. A documentary was created about it that explored the town that was and the impact of the fire. It featured interviews with former residents and shared haunting images of the abandoned town. 

Although the future of Centralia is uncertain, there are speculations that the fire could go on for another 250 years. Less than five people live in Centralia today, and the town is a haunting reminder of what was once a thriving town.