Centralia was once a thriving Anthracite coal mining town until the early 1960's. That's when someone set fire to some garbage in an illegal dump outside town. The fire ignited an exposed vein of coal at the ground's surface, and the fire spread to the town's underground coal mines.

The fire has been burning out of control underneath the town since then. The federal government bought most of the homes under eminent domain and demolished them. Only the most stubborn remain--20 people.

The land above the fires is subject to subsidence and collapse, and gaseous smoke emanates from vents throughout the area. The ground is too hot to touch (I know this first hand) and surface fires are not uncommon. Those who fly over the area at night can see the ground glowing red hot at times.

Highway 61, shown in some of my pictures, had to be rerouted because of huge cracks (2-3 feet deep) and buckling. Many of the trees are either dead or bleached white because of the noxious carbon monoxide gases. I decided it was time to go when these gases gave me a dizzy spell.

There's not much hope for Centralia. Nobody knows how to stop the fires. There's enough mine timber and coal in the ground to keep the fire burning for at least a century. Plans to keep the fire from spreading to nearby coal veins have been discussed, but nothing has been done yet. Neighboring coal towns fear the same fate.

For more information, visit http://www.u-town.com/centralia or http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm