The world's oldest fire lasts 6,000 years

Australia The underground fire beneath Mount Wingen is estimated to reach temperatures of 1,000 degrees Celsius, creeping through the coal at a rate of 1 meter per year.

Smoke rises from Mount Wingen. Photo: Atlas Obscura — Smoke rises from Mount Wingen. Photo: *Atlas Obscura*

When passing by Mount Wingen (or Burning Mountain), New South Wales, Australia, in the 18th century, explorers mistook it for a volcano. However, they actually encountered something much stranger. Burning Mountain is home to the world's oldest charcoal fire, which has not been extinguished for thousands of years, IFL Science reported on May 20.

Most scientists believe the fire is around 6,000 years old, but some think it is much older. The fire is located about 30 metres underground, beneath Mount Wingen. Wingen also means “burn” in the local Wonaruah language. Because it is underground, experts cannot see the fire or determine its size. However, the smoke rising from the mountain is evidence of its presence.

"Nobody knows the scale of the fire under Burning Mountain, you can only speculate. It could be a sphere about 5-10 meters in diameter, reaching temperatures of 1,000 degrees Celsius," said Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London in the UK.

The fire draws its energy from the coals beneath the mountain. Just as the coals turn white in a fireplace, this invisible fire slowly creeps through the coals at a rate of about 1 meter per year.

Scientists estimate the age by measuring the path the fire took, which was about 4 miles long, and the speed at which it burned. No one really knows exactly when or how the phenomenon started, but it’s almost certainly not man-made. Lightning strikes or a raging forest fire are the most likely explanations.

In an article detailing his trip to Mount Wingen, Rein explained that the heat from the coal fires left a 50-meter area around the summit devoid of any vegetation. He noted that similar underground coal fires have been found elsewhere in the world, most notably in China, India, and the United States. For example, the Centralia Mine Fire in Pennsylvania, USA, erupted in 1962 in a chain of abandoned coal mines. Despite efforts to extinguish them, the fires still burn today and are expected to continue for another 250 years.

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

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