Odd Fellows Cemetery in Centralia, PA.
In 1962, a group of volunteer fireman in Centralia were hired to burn some municipal trash in an open landfill next to this cemetery. What they didn’t know is that the landfill had a coal seem that met the surface and the burning trash ignited the coal, starting an underground fire that eventually over the years, caused the abandonment of the town. The fire burns to this day and has enough coal fueling it underground for several hundred years to come.
There are several excellent books on Centralia that really give a detailed account of the fire, the lives of the people of Centralia before and during the fire and the snail’s pace that government bureaucracy operates at. I, personally like “The Day The Earth Caved In” by Joan Quigley. She really paints a thorough picture of the lives of all involved in this tragic story.
There are several good videos on Centralia and the underground mine fire on You Tube including this one. Check it out for a good overview of the town and the fire. NOTE: They have the 1962 population wrong in this video but it’s still pretty good none the less.
I took this on Saturday afternoon 3-14-2009. Processed as a single RAW image through Photomatix Pro to make an HDR.
