Why This Town Has Been On Fire For 50 Years

This week Reactions is shining light on why a small town in PA, Centralia, has been on fire for over 50 years. It's because of science. Well, chemistry, technically.

In 1962, an underground fire started in the coal-mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. Fifty-three years later, that fire still burns. In this week’s episode of Reactions, we explain the history and science behind the Centralia mine fire. Does anyone still live there? How could the fire keep burning for so long, and why hasn’t it been extinguished? From a chemical standpoint, what is fire, anyway?

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Photo credits:
David DeKok, Centralia Photo Archive (at 3:19)

Music credits:
Reole - I Got My Own
Sublustris Nox - Lost In the Woods

Producer:
Elaine Seward

Writer:
Sam Kean

Executive Producer:
Adam Dylewski

Scientific consultants:
Steven Maguire
Darcy Gentlemen, Ph.D.

[danielcrawley]

Coal deposits, mother nature's cigarettes.

[shanedk]

Any way to use it to generate electricity? As long as it's burning anyway, might as well...

[DocteurZeuhl]

The Silent Hill joke got me.
Also, interesting science. Thanks a lot :)

[regnuyrallih]

If you go into Ashland they have a mine coaling tour that explains everything about the fire and what efforts have been taken to to try and stop it. The government paid the people to leave the area. There are only 5 people that actually own property there that could still take the government offer if they wish. It's just said how the town has been taken advantage of for art work and not preserved to show some history of the town. The tour is very informative. I went on it about 2 weeks ago I suggest to take it if your ever in the area.

[MichaelShulski]

I grew up in Mount Carmel, right next to Centralia. We used to drive through it all the time. Even rode my bike close to it. I remember in the late 90s it got overgrown with grasses and wildlife. Nearby Columbia county had to have all these combines come down to cut all the grass. There was a whole battle in the 70s about Centralia.

[beezertwelvewashingbeard]

I've burned out an old tree stump and found a few days later the roots smoldered several feet away from the stump, leaving empty burned out cavities in the ground. They burned slowly like coal.

[besmart]

Is planet Earth trying to tell us something about coal?

[timmon]

Hi where exactly is the New Zealand coal fire that is shown close to the end....? If you are referring to Pike River, that was an explosion, not a fire that kept raging. Many thanks, a concerned kiwi

[younginbx]

Can you put a topic about organic products and explain to some people that not everything that is organic is safe

[powhammer]

Reactions, you didn't mention what the temperature is at there or has the temperature remained steady over the years? It would be interesting to know what the temperature had been during the winter time and what is it during the summer seasons. With all this burning for years in Centralia, PA that you'd think that during the Winter season, it would be like Florida where it is nice and warm.

[erin]

The Devils fire was brought on by the 100 year curse of a priest going back to 1862.

[TheThagenesis]

you should really cover the chemistry of modern tech like lithium-ion batteries for example

[jameshackert]

This is literally word for word from Wikipedia did you do any writing for this video on your own

[vilewisher]

Visited there with two friends while visiting in Schuylkill Haven. Was there for like 10 minutes. Saw that creepy fucking church in the woods, stood right in front of it. Heard sirens. Got the fuck out.

[catnium]

Also known as: How humans literally fuck up everything.

[paulnorvilla]

I've been here a few times, definitely very interesting. Jumping across the road is fun. If you are planning on bringing your kids with you I should note that there are an absurd amount of phallic drawings all up and down that main road.

[quatie]

What are some other great channels like this?

[SirCraigius]

Might be a stupid question. But wouldn't it be possible to flood the mines with water and put the fires out that way?

[ShengTheCraftsman]

it would have been like actual hell where you couldn't even enter the entrance

[casperfasano]

Dig a trench around the perimeter. Flood the trench with water..drop bunker buster bombs ontop to displace the fuel source