In the US, a fire that raged for decades transformed the once vibrant mining town of Centralia into a desolate wasteland.
The town of Centralia is shrouded in toxic smoke and riddled with cracks. Photo: Unilad
Before 1962, Centralia, Pennsylvania, was a thriving mining town. That changed, however, when a fire broke out last May. While authorities don't know exactly what ignited the blaze, the results were clear. The fire spread through the labyrinth of mine shafts beneath the town, causing damage along the way. Cracks appeared in the ground, allowing gas and smoke to spread throughout the town, forcing the evacuation of most residents. Today, 62 years later, the fire continues to burn, according to IFL Science .
Before the fire began, Centralia relied on the mining industry for over a century. The key to the town's success was its abundant anthracite coal deposits beneath the surface. As soon as the mines opened, Centralia was incorporated in 1866. Initially named Centreville, the town was renamed in 1865 after the U.S. Postal Service pointed out a town with the same name in Schuylkill County. By the 1890s, it was home to over 2,700 people dependent on the mines. Even when the Great Depression struck, forcing many mines to close, the town continued to thrive.
Throughout its history, fires have not been uncommon in Centralia. Several fires broke out in the mines during the 19th and 20th centuries, causing varying degrees of damage. However, none could compare to the 1962 fire. Authorities did not know exactly when or how the fire started. A popular theory is that the fire originated in Centralia's landfill, which was one of the mines converted into a dumpsite. At the time, the town council wanted to address the problem of waste attracting rats and causing an unpleasant odor. In May 1962, they wanted to clear the landfill before the holidays in Centralia, and their solution was to burn the landfill.
The fire may have spread deep into the mine, igniting a coal seam and expanding into a much larger blaze. Because the mine was so extensive and interwoven beneath the entire town, all mining operations had to stop due to the toxic carbon monoxide fumes. The fire spread so far into the tunnel network that extinguishing it seemed impossible. The residents of Centralia were compensated to relocate. Soon after, all the houses in the town were abandoned. Only seven residents remained, but they were forbidden from selling their homes to others.
The fires beneath Centralia continue today and could last for another 250 years until all the fuel is burned. However, this is not an isolated case. Around the world , there are thousands of coal fires, almost all of which are unquenchable. The risk is increasing. Exposed coal seams are exposed to oxygen and easily ignited by human activity or natural chemical processes. The United States, China, and India have the highest number of coal fires in the world.
An Khang (According to IFL Science )
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