What) No one knows exactly how it started, but a coal vein has been burning under the Pennsylvania mining town of Centralia since 1961. Some trace it back to careless trash incineration in an open pit mine that ignited a coal vein. The fire crawled, insidiously, along coal-rich deposits far from the miner's pick, venting hot and poisonous gases up into town through the basements of homes and businesses.

    With dawning horror, residents came to realize that the fire was not going to be extinguished, or ever burn itself out - at least not until all the interconnected coal veins in eastern Pennsylvania were spent in some epic, meatless barbecue. As the underground fire worked its way under rows of homes and businesses, the threat of fires, asphyxiation, carbon monoxide poisoning and long-term health impact became a daily concern.

    The government eventually stepped in, and Centralia joined an elite club of communities, including Love Canal and Times Beach. Declared municipalis non grata, Centralia was slowly abandoned as houses were demolished or burned and citizens relocated. (1)

    Where) 7 miles West of I-81, north of Ashland.   Route 61/54   (Gases are considered dangerous, proceed at your own risk.)

    Why) It was the first of the three part, man-made, Pennsylvania disaster tour that included Three Mile Island and was going to include the Flight 93 crash site.