Inside The Abandoned Ghost Town Of Pennsylvania That Has Been On Fire Since 1962

Pennsylvania has many historic downtowns to explore, beautiful natural sites that have to be seen to be believed, and even ghost towns that could be the setting of a horror novel. Unfortunately, Centralia is one of the latter. The town of Centralia was once a symbol of Pennsylvania’s mining success. Despite its small population of about 1,000, Centralia became a mining hub, thanks to its coal deposits. In 1962, a fire broke out in Centralia’s coal mines that has not been extinguished to this day. People still live in many ghost towns across the US, including Centralia, though perhaps not for long. As the underground fires ate through the mine tunnels, the town began to crumble, crack, and release dangerous carbon monoxide and other gases into the air. Now the town itself is cut off from automobile traffic and more deserted than ever – and yes, Centralia is still burning.

Today, visitors must do a bit of walking to get to the town of Centralia. The Graffiti Highway, part of Route 61, was once the main attraction entering Centralia but has since been covered with dirt to discourage vandalism and visitors coming here for the wrong reasons.

Additionally, visitors should be aware that this is not a typical trip to a ghost town. It is estimated that the fires beneath Centralia will burn for at least 500 years, if not longer, meaning the ground will be unstable for some time.

Throughout the town, visitors will see signs warning of this danger and warning them to beware of particularly dangerous spots or turn back.

In the early 1990s, people fled the town and all properties were repossessed, but at least five residents remained until 2020. Since the fires are not expected to stop any time soon, the remaining residents can continue to live in Centralia until they die, at which point their property would also be subject to repossession.

The population initially declined due to the increasing danger posed by the city’s carbon monoxide levels and the instability of the ground it sits on. There are still some things in the city that have been left behind and remain virtually untouched.