Trip to Centralia, PA ("Silent Hill") - Underground Coal Mine Fire!

[PAFirefighter11]

My g/f, her cousin and myself stayed in Ashland, PA over the weekend. We visited Centralia and did a little wheeling up there as well. We also drove to places we refer to as "Creek in the Road" in Tinicum Township, Bucks County, PA as well as "High Rock" at Ralph Stover State Park about 10 minutes from there. Here are some photos:



































I'll post any of my "artistic" shots when I get a chance to edit them.

YouTube vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlncl6ktT5Y

EDIT: HDR's from that day:

[CHAOS]

looks like an awesome time rick!

[CarbonIS]

That place is mad dangerous! the ground just randomly caves in sometimes. Looks like it was a good time tho,
I'd like to go there once. I've been nearby but never actually in Centralia

[Protege v2.5]

whats the story on the place with the steam coming out of the road?

[CHAOS]

Originally Posted by Protege v2.5

whats the story on the place with the steam coming out of the road?

its smoke.


there was an underground coal mine there... something ignited it years and years ago.. (back in the 70s i think) and its been smoldering ever since... its a dead town now

[jb1830]

This is off the top of my head...It was a mining town, one of the coal mines caught fire sometime in the 60s. They weren't able to put it out and since theres so much coal it has been burning ever since and its supposed to keep burning for a long freaking time. Went from being a growing city to a ghost town.

[cmr076]

^ i think its something to do with the tunnels from the coal mining still burning under the roads... we used to shoot up there!

::edit:: doh, that upward arrow was meant for the protege v2.5, then we all responded @ the same time!

[CarbonIS]

3 people just answered the same question.

[Protege v2.5]

oh yeah, i know of the story, couldn't remember the town's name

[olmytsi]

I heard about that place a while agao and i was like "omg" Def want to go check it out someday. ****'s been burning for like 40 years, how crazy is that?

[bmatyeah]

sick pictures. The hdr's are not over done. I love it.

[Zillon]

I've been to Centralia quite a few times, it's a really cool place to go explore.

It's more eerie if you visit in the late fall or winter, though.

[PAFirefighter11]

For those interested in all the stories and such, here are some links for ya to read up on:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania
http://www.centraliapa.com

1987 Movie "Made in USA" partially filmed in Centralia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIkt-47ZHkc

The movie "Silent Hill" was actually partially based on the town of Centralia as quoted by the movies director.

Though the true cause of the fire has been speculated on for years, most people seem to think it was caused by a trash fire in the local dump. The fire spread to a coal vein. Firefighters ignored it for a day due to a holiday the next day. Had they fought it 'round the clock for the first 24-48 hours, they more than likely would've extinguished the fire. By the time they got to the fire, it had spread extensively.

Underground temp. data:

[240sxDann]

yea awesome place. I'm gonna be driving through there on friday to go to my cabin. I've been through that down probably 30+ times. It is cool in late fall early winter, so much smoke/steam coming up from everywhere. Be careful though, like said before, its VERY possible for the ground to collapse under you and then you die.

[PAFirefighter11]

Yep. One of the guys from work told me his friend was wheeling up there in his pickup with some other buddies of his. A 75 foot deep by 10 foot wide hole opened under his truck. Down he went. Thankfully it was an already burnt out vein, but it was still hot. The other guys through rope down to him and rescued him. He spent weeks in the hospital. I've heard / read other similar stories. I've been told a few people a year die up there, though I don't know how accurate that statement is. I personally didn't see any "deep" holes anywhere, or ones that looked like they'd been covered/filled in. I know mine subsidence is a very real threat.

[240sxDann]

so which one is your gf?

[Zillon]

Another good source of info is the book "Unseen Danger" by David DeKok.

Really provides a good look into the cause and the history of the town and fire.

[PAFirefighter11]

My g/f is the one in the gray hoodie/green shirt. Her cousin is the one in the red hoodie/white shirt.

[OutOfStock]

Last I heard dosent the town actually have like 3 people living in it who refuse to leave there homes...

Edit: Wikipedia says there was a population of 9 in 2007.

[PAFirefighter11]

Correct, a very small population still remain. There are 4 houses (from memory), 1 Fire/EMS/Municipal building, and one church that remain standing. There were a few other abandoned shells of structures remaining last weekend.