Centralia, PA

[gonefishie]

How many of you have heard of this place? I saw this little tidbit today which I found much more intersting then the recalls. This deserted town has been burning since the 60's. That's right, almost 50 yrs and the fire is still going.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Centralia, PA

The town itself is not burning, the coal seams under it have been for about a half a century now. When the seams are close to the surface fumes and smoke come up from the ground. Could be used as show and tell for kids to show them were they are going to spend eternity if they don't change their wicked ways

 

[aspeck]

Re: Centralia, PA

It started when a trash fire came in contact with an anthracite coal vein that was close to the surface. It could have been stopped for at the cost of several thousand dollars, but in the '60's that was too much money for the government to spend. So, now they have spent over $50 million condemning property and making people move out of the homes their families have lived in for generations.

It wasn't a big deal until 1981, I think, when a 12 year old boy fell in a burning sink hole. He survived, but that was when the real work of condemning property started.

And yep, the coal under the ground is still burning.

 

[npd4432]

Re: Centralia, PA

I live about 45 minutes away and have visited on several occasions in the past 15 years. When I first went there were still some houses up and people living in them, now there really is nothing there except the abandoned roads and sidewalks. The roads are falling apart and the sidewalks are crumbling and nature is starting to take over. There is an abandoned part of PA route 61 which ran through the fire area which is pretty neat to walk down it has been bypassed now but the remnants remain of the old highway. Another neat thing in the PA area is the abandoned section of PA turnpike with three abandoned tunnels (I have rode my bicycle through this route too, about 13 miles of road.)

Here is a pretty good website with some photos for centralia

http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm


And here for the Abandoned PA turnpike

http://www.rays-hill.com/turnpike/home.htm

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Centralia, PA

Are there many abandoned areas in PA?

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Centralia, PA

How many of you have heard of this place? I saw this little tidbit today which I found much more intersting then the recalls. This deserted town has been burning since the 60's. That's right, almost 50 yrs and the fire is still going.

Thanks alot !!! I had to take a look, and then spent the next 3 hours or so reading and researching. Fascinating story with lots of photos before and after.

Now I'd better get back to tiling the bathroom shower .

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Centralia, PA

Thanks alot !!! I had to take a look, and then spent the next 3 hours or so reading and researching. Fascinating story with lots of photos before and after.

You definitely don't ever want to go to http://www.forgotten-ny.com/ then. Could kill days

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Centralia, PA

What an amazing story. I've never heard that before. Very interesting.

 

[rbh]

Re: Centralia, PA

Seems like there are old ghost towns that were brought on by coal fires, a few here in western canada.

 

[heycods]

Re: Centralia, PA

Dood story, Reminds me of a Dean Contz or Stephen King novel, Dont rember which????