Centralia mine fire

Rare card · No. 31810

A coal-seam fire has been burning in the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines underneath the borough of Centralia, Pennsylvania, since at least May 27, 1962. Its original cause and start date are still a matter of debate. It is burning at depths of up to 300 feet (90 m) over an 8-mile (13 km) stretch of 3,700 acres (15 km2). At its current rate, it could continue to burn for over 250 years. Due to the fire, Centralia was mostly abandoned in the 1980s. There were 1,500 residents at the time the fire is believed to have started, but as of 2017, Centralia has a population of 5 and most of the buildings have been demolished.

Read on Wikipedia · Image U.S. Bureau of Mines., Public domain