Centralia Mine Fire

After following Route 61 North out of Ashland, you'll find yourself in what appears to be the styx. A few houses and a cemetery are here, and lots of empty land. Welcome to Centralia, also known as Hell. This ghost town was once similar to its neighbor Ashland, but is now an empty set of lots with streets that lead to nowhere.

There are a few "landmarks" in Centralia. There are two benches, a time capsule, a war memorial and the municipal building. There's also St. Ignatius Cemetery, which we did not photograph on this trip.

Interesting enough, the municipal building houses an ambulence and a firetruck.

Of course, while you're looking at all these things, you're bound to notice the most interesting sight in Centralia... the burning hill.

A few vents were placed in the ground to help let the gas out. We only spotted one working one

All the plants here are dead, killed off by the raging mine fire beneath the surface. All that grows is moss. The fire started in the 60s when a fire was lit to burn garbage. This fire ignited an exposed vein of coal and it has continued to burn ever since. A few ineffective efforts were made to put out the fire. Eventually the government bought most of homes and the townspeople relocated. The houses were torn down and their foundations are barely visible beneath the grass. A few residents still remain, refusing to leave their beloved town.

This church is on the hill above Centralia. It's safe from the fire, and is still used for services.

A few links for more information and pictures of Centralia:
Centralia Pennsylvania Photography
PA Highways: Centralia Mine Fire
Wikipedia: Centralia, PA
Centralia Mine Fire