In Centralia, residents are always prepared to confront sudden cracks in the ground that reveal the hellish depths below and the flames that continue to burn. Many have called this town one that cannot escape death if one chooses to stay.
On May 27, 1962, a fire erupted inside the coal mine of Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA. Workers evacuated, and the townspeople believed it would extinguish itself, but sadly, that was not the case.
To this day, the fire continues, rendering the town nearly abandoned. Most of the buildings that once made up the lively streets have vanished, and columns of smoke rise from beneath the ground. Today, the town is home to fewer than five residents.
The few remaining inhabitants of the town are still working to extinguish the raging fires that continue to spread through the coal tunnels, yet all efforts have yielded little success.
Visitors to Centralia often tread cautiously on the cracked roads, with smoke billowing up and the ground glowing red with fire below. Many houses have been abandoned, and the streets are lined with graffiti, warning tourists that they risk being swallowed by the earth, as the underground fire burns and the ground may collapse at any moment.
“Everyone in the town shares a common concern: you go to bed at night and don’t know if you’ll wake up in the morning,” expressed Michael Sulick, a retired miner.
As a result, many have referred to Centralia as a town from which no one can escape if they continue to live here. They are unaware of when the ground might give way and the deep, fiery pits could engulf them.
The ruins of Centralia.
On Valentine’s Day in 1981, 12-year-old Todd Domboski fell into a 40-foot deep pit while visiting his grandmother’s house. Young Todd survived by gripping onto tree roots and awaiting rescue from his cousins.
In an interview with the New York Times, Todd recounted that smoke was pouring from the pit, and he was unable to see anything.
Jack, a former resident of the town, recounted its horrors. He noted that sometimes the ground rises and falls, swallowing any surface life above with its terrifying, fiery mouth. Jack explained: “The scariest part is the sinkholes. You need to be careful where you step in the woods because the ground can give way. The fire can consume meters of coal, yet the ground seems to always appear flat.” Many people have suffered ankle fractures due to these sinkhole incidents.
In fact, an ankle fracture is not too serious compared to what others in the town have faced. According to Jack, there was once a child who fell into a 30-foot pit just a few steps behind his mother. Fortunately, he managed to stretch out his arms and prevent himself from falling deeper. When the boy was pulled out, everyone saw smoke rising from the pit and a fierce fire below.
Many have described the scene here as nothing short of a hellish landscape, evoking a sense of mysterious apocalypse for visitors.
Most roads in the town lead nowhere. Pennsylvania Route 61 passes through here, but it has been damaged by the underground fire, creating cracks in the road surface. Many who are unaware think these are signs of a major earthquake.
In light of the potential dangers in Centralia, the government has mandated that residents evacuate. However, by 1993, people began to fight to return to their homes.
Experts explain that the underground fire in this town is due to previous coal mining at a depth of about 300 feet. This fire continues to smolder to this day, with many fearing it may take another 250 years to extinguish.
The underground fire in this town is due to previous coal mining at a depth of about 300 feet.
Moreover, the ongoing fire also releases carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. This gas is considered dangerous for humans when it accumulates in the blood. Those affected may experience symptoms similar to the flu, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.
| Centralia is a small town in the USA, located 115 miles from Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania. Once a bustling coal mining town with over 1,000 residents, Centralia is now home to about 10 people, who steadfastly refuse to relocate. In fact, the number of graves in the cemetery exceeds the number of living residents. |
