Smoking Hills of Centralia

How is started is unclear, but one thing is certain: it never stopped. The town of Centralia, PA is now the least populated in all of Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of seven individuals. In 1962, the town boasted close to 1000 residents, and they had their own landfill in the hills above town. Stories vary, but at some point, a fire started in the dump – a fairly common and sometimes desired event. But Centralia is located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region, and an exposed seam in the dump caught fire and spread underground.

While a fire burning underground may not seem like a big deal, it had a big effect. Over the years, people began to notice strange things… basements were warm in the winter, road maintenance was increasing, and there were patches where snow would melt quickly. One gas station attendant was testing fuel levels and was surprised when the dipstick came up hot. He lowered a thermometer and was astonished to find a reading of 171ºF.

In the 1980’s, a boy was playing in his backyard only to have hell open up beneath him. A four foot wide hole some 150 feet deep engulfed him, though he was lucky enough to grab on to some roots where his cousin could reach down and save him. A few more feet, and he would have been overcome by the intense heat and noxious gases. How hot? Hotter than the planet Mercury at over 1000ºF.

When the highway started to buckle and smolder (it is now completely abandoned, with an awkward detour as you travel by Centralia), the state came in and declared eminent domain, forcing residents to move to nearby towns. Though nearly all of the town’s structure were razed, some folks refused to move, claiming that the government was after the estimated $1,000,000,000 in coal beneath the town.

If that was the government’s goal, they’d better hurry. Though an estimated $50,000,000 has been spent trying to fight the fires, they’re still burning strong. There is a constant mist over the town visible for miles, and residents from other towns fear that eventually, the fire will spread to them.

Abandoned PA Route 61 Continues to Burn

You can drive through Centralia today, though you’ll see only empty streets and maybe some smoking pipes sticking out of the ground. The adventurous may even travel down the smoking highway, as Alison Smith and I (foolishly) did last September.

And for you Silent Hill fans out there – it’s true. Centralia is the basis for the video game series, though we found no haunted schools or malevolent ghoulies.

The real stuff was scary enough.

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