Failure™ Magazine

The Unforgettable Fire

Centralia, Pennsylvania’s eternal flame.

Written by Jason Zasky   Filed under History, Science & Technology

These days it would take more than a few thousand dollars to eliminate the so-called danger. In 1983, the United States Office of Surface Mining (OSM) estimated that $663 million would be required to do the job.

Of course, underground fires are not unheard of in the coal mining regions of Pennsylvania. Just last May, a local television broadcast showed workers digging out a mine fire in Carbondale. But the type of coal under Centralia is decidedly rare, and perfect for fueling the flames. Known as anthracite (or hard coal), it’s the most valuable type in the world, making up less than two percent of the reserves in the U.S. More importantly, it burns very slowly, emits little smoke, and requires no attention to sustain combustion. Because of this, the anthracite under and around Centralia could continue to burn for the next hundred years.

As recently as the early 1980s, the fire was viewed as a relatively minor inconvenience. But in 1983, nearby Route 61, a vital transportation link, suffered severe heat damage, leaving the pavement cracked and smoking, harm comparable to a substantial earthquake. At that point the highway department was forced to stabilize the road at a cost of half a million dollars. Then, in 1984, circumstances changed dramatically when the government appropriated $42 million to acquire individual properties in Centralia and relocate the town’s businesses and residences. When presented with a financial incentive to leave people began packing up and abandoning Centralia en masse.

But the people couldn’t move away fast enough—at least by the estimation of the state’s politicians. “When they first started to move out the governor came to town and told us, ‘anybody who wants to move, we’ll buy the home—no pressure’,” says Mervine. “But then they declared eminent domain [the right of the government to appropriate private property for public use] and said all the homes were in the impact zone.”

Ever since then, the pressure on the remaining residents to relocate has been omnipresent. Just last year, the town stopped cutting the grass, leaving the job to Centralia’s aging population. “And every once in a while they send us a letter telling us we’re still in danger,” says Mervine, referring to the 20 or so residents that get together once a month for a town meeting.

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