The burning town of Centralia

Chapter 1

The spark in the coal

Chapter 2

The science of a subterranean fire

Chapter 3

Life on a boiling crust

Chapter 4

The ghost town and its legacy

Ch 1 · The spark in the coal
B
buhari
This moth survives in the wild by perfectly mimicking a crumpled dead leaf.

buhari Look closely to see how fake leaf veins help this insect fool predators.

Aug 10

H
hank

hank A town built on black gold

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

Why did the early trench-digging projects fail to contain the Centralia fire?

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

In what year did the underground fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania, begin?

Aug 8

H
hank

hank Centralia Mine Fire

Still burning bright, burning bright / Deep in the coal tonight

Aug 8

H
hank

hank The fateful Memorial Day cleanup

Aug 8

H
hank
The fateful Memorial Day cleanup

hank A routine landfill cleanup in May 1962 accidentally ignited the underground coal seam.

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

Which Pennsylvania company began mining the coal deposits in Centralia in 1856?

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

Why did the underground fire spread so quickly through the ground of Centralia?

Aug 8

H
hank
Fun Fact

The spark: The Centralia fire started from a landfill cleanup meant to prepare the town for its annual Memorial Day parade.

Aug 8

H
hank

hank The labyrinth of abandoned mines

Aug 8

H
hank
The labyrinth of abandoned mines

hank Hundreds of miles of unmapped mining tunnels allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

By 1969, how hot did the underground fire in Centralia get?

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

What method did the state of Pennsylvania first try to use to smother the Centralia fire in 1962?

Aug 8

H
hank
Gossip

Would you stay in Centralia?

Aug 8

H
hank

hank Early failed attempts to extinguish it

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

What type of high-quality coal was Centralia founded on mining?

Aug 8

H
hank
Quiz

Where did the fire that ignited the Centralia coal seam originally start?

Aug 8