A fire has been burning under this Pennsylvania ghost town for more than 60 years — take a lookNEWS | 10 November 2025Today, little remains of the once-thriving mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania.
Today, little remains of the once-thriving mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
Today, little remains of the once-thriving mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.
lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.
Over 60 years ago, Centralia, Pennsylvania, was a bustling coal mining town, home to more than 1,000 people.
Today, the once-thriving community is a smoldering expanse of overgrown streets, cracked pavements, and charred trees where streams of toxic gas spew into the air from hundreds of fissures in the ground.
Just a handful of residents remain.
A fire in 1962 spread from a landfill to the labyrinth of coal mines beneath the town, essentially creating a giant underground inferno that still rages, although virtually invisible from the surface.
After expensive efforts to put out the expansive fire proved unsuccessful, the US government decided to buy up the homes of people living in the town and relocate its residents.
A handful of residents, however, resisted, leading to a decades-long battle to stay in the town and their homes.
The small group was ultimately able to stay in the town until their deaths, even though officials say the fire could burn for at least another 100 years.
See Centralia's history and what it looks like today.Author: Never Miss A Story. Kristine Villarroel. Enter Your Email. Follow Authors. Source
