In the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania sits a ghost town called Centralia. Founded in 1866 by Alexander Rae, Centralia was once a booming anthracite coal-mining town, home of the Molly Maguires. The town’s population of more than a thousand people in 1962 has dwindled down to seven in 2007.
Town on Fire
In 1962, the Centralia garbage dump, situated beside the Odd Fellow’s cemetery, was set on fire to get rid of the trash. The fire ignited the anthracite coal below the surface. Authorities tried to put the fire out, but their efforts were in vain and the fire continued to burn.
On February 14, 1981, the fire was brought to national attention when twelve year old Todd Domboski was sucked in by the collapsing earth he was standing on. Domboski clung to exposed tree roots keeping him from falling into the burning abyss. Fortunately his cousin pulled him from the hole.
Two years after the Domboski incident and after failed attempts to put the fire out the state of Pennsylvania enforced eminent domain forcing homeowners to give up their home. However, a handful of homeowners stayed and are considered present day squatters.
Town That Was
The town once had four movie theaters, seven bars, and a school. In 2002, Centralia no longer had a zip code. Houses have been leveled and what remains is their foundations and driveways that once led to a garage. The utility poles that once brought communication and electricity to the small town now stand bare, stripped of their wiring.
Route 61 is now diverted to go around the area where the fire began due to the earthquake like cracks in the road surface. Signs posted along the road tell of the burning fires and toxic fumes and informs visitors to continue at their own risk; while in another part of the town hangs a poster on a pole that says, “We love Centralia,” most likely the feelings of those who stayed behind.
Centralia made the movies in April of 2006. The movie, Silent Hill, takes the viewer into the toxic fog of the burning town. Unfortunately, as Hollywood movies have an ending, Centralia's fire does not. Geologists believe that anthracite coal beneath Centralia has the capability to burn for another 250 years polluting the air with toxic fumes of hydrogen sulfate and carbon monoxide. Geologists also fear that the fire will spread to surrounding towns.
Sources:
Johnson, Deryl Bert. Centralia; Arcadia Publishing, San Francisco, 2004.
Offroaders.com
An Aerial View of Centralia, from YouTube
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