The Ghost Town That's Still Burning: 60+ Years of Underground Fire

Picture this: it’s 1962, a small U.S. town decides to burn some trash before Memorial Day. Sounds harmless, right? Wrong. The flames hit an abandoned coal mine beneath the landfill and ignited an underground inferno that never stopped burning.

Centralia, Pennsylvania went from 1,200 residents to literally 5 people. The government threw over $40 million at the problem trying to stop the fire. Ground craters opened up everywhere—one literally swallowed a kid in 1981 (cousin saved him but the trauma stuck).

Here’s the wild part: the fire’s still active today. Scientists say it could keep burning for another 200+ years. Underground temps hit 500°C. Toxic gases everywhere. It’s so dystopian that the horror film “Silent Hill” was directly inspired by Centralia’s story.

So yeah, a trash fire turned an entire town into a real-life horror movie. And it’s still smoldering beneath the ground.

The numbers:

• Population: 1,200 → 5
• Government spent: $40M+
• Fire lifespan: 60 years and counting
• Estimated remaining burn time: 200+ years
• Ground temperature: 500°C+