Centralia PA

[vladtepes 1,060]

Took a visit to this abandoned coal town in PA... Coal mine caught on fire years ago and still burns today.. the town is pretty much a ghost town..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vladtepes 1,060]

 

 

 

 

 

[Maksim 1,504]

wow, hard to believe living in NJ that towns like this exist. Almost looks like Chernobyl.

[vladtepes 1,060]

wow, hard to believe living in NJ that towns like this exist. Almost looks like Chernobyl.

 

I just can't imagine a fire SO aggressive that it burns for years on years on years.. and can not be put out.. the fire is so hot that as you walk around there is steam rising up from holes in the ground.. kind of sad.. some people actually stayed and still live there to this day.. the population there is like 12..

[Maksim 1,504]

So what happened with the town?

[vladtepes 1,060]

So what happened with the town?

 

 

there were coal mines underneath the town.. they caught fire.. so it was basically a fire with a never ending supply of fuel (coal) at the hottest point they made roads collapse... the government decided it was not worth it to try to fix it.. because of the under ground damage and harmful fumes.. people moved on and homes were not able to be sold so they were demolished.. a few homes and roads still stand.. route 61 was rerouted around the town.. where my girlfriend is standing used to be a highway through town... once people started to move on.. and the highway was cut off.. it just kind of fell off the earth.. but you can still go there.. drive around.. you just have to be looking for it..

[jonny.montana 48]

I actually want to go there... is there like an address I can put in the gps or something?

[bbk 188]

This town is actually the inspiration for the town in the Silent Hill movie adaptation. What's crazy is that I was just talking to my sister and bro-in-law about this exact town, and possibly visiting it.

 

ETA: From my understanding, there is something like 400 acres that are literally on fire underground. There have also been reports of numerous sink holes opening up randomly all over the town limits because of said ongoing fires. So, on one hand I think it would be fascinating to go, on the other hand it's definitely a bit more of a risk.

[vladtepes 1,060]

they had their zip code revoked so they are kind of off the map.. but my GPS found it by just entering the name.. to find the closed road as you come down 61 be observant... you will notice a sharp bend.. and signs that look newer than everything else.. there is a large berm.. and behind that is the lost stretch of highway... the main holes where the steam pockets come up are not too far from the municipal building you see pictured..if you find the municipal building head away from it into the center.. cross the main road and look for an old beat up tree in a yard on the left.. it has an old wooden arrow that simple says "fire" and points towards the burning holes.. we actually found a couple pieces of coal.. the cemetery is back there as well.. the church is up on the hills the other way.. you can park.. and walk around.. the few remaining people do not seem that bothered by people coming and going.. I dont know that I would drive all the way there from NJ.. but it definitely is something neat to see.. I am only like 30 minutes from it in PA... we are going to go back soon and try to explore more..

[vladtepes 1,060]

This town is actually the inspiration for the town in the Silent Hill movie adaptation. What's crazy is that I was just talking to my sister and bro-in-law about this exact town, and possibly visiting it.

 

ETA: From my understanding, there is something like 400 acres that are literally on fire underground. There have also been reports of numerous sink holes opening up randomly all over the town limits because of said ongoing fires. So, on one hand I think it would be fascinating to go, on the other hand it's definitely a bit more of a risk.

 

yup that is the situation.. lol

 

if you guys come up you have to let me know... I am really close..

 

it is DEFINITELY neat.. dont know if I would drive 4 hours? but with there being such few actual "ghost towns" it is pretty neat.. not really much left in the way of abandoned buildings that we found.. there are about 5 different sections that we noticed.. a section of still populated homes on a hill.. where the church is located.. the burning pit with the steam that billows from the ground.. the section of ruined town where there is mostly just foundations left.. and then the stretch of roadway that is cut off..

 

we want to go again but leave a little early.. dusk crept up on us quickly so we cut it short.. it is weird it can be sunny as could be for a second.. and then the sun dips behind a mountain.. and bam.. it is dark out.. lol

[vladtepes 1,060]

 

ETA: From my understanding, there is something like 400 acres that are literally on fire underground. There have also been reports of numerous sink holes opening up randomly all over the town limits because of said ongoing fires. So, on one hand I think it would be fascinating to go, on the other hand it's definitely a bit more of a risk.

 

I thought the same.. but oddly enough.. it seems pretty safe and stable.. granted we only put in an hour or so of exploring.. and we envisioned exactly what you are saying.. but it was way more calm than that... in fact there were people parked checking it out.. some with NJ tags.. LOL

[alowerlevel 77]

Stopped there a few times when I was younger on the way to my aunts house, havent been out that way in quite a few years now.

 

edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania

 

edit #2: Found a vid of something the Discovery channel did about Centralia in 2002

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkHfnp2czZQ

 

 

 

edit #3: Found one from the History Channel show "Life After People"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDGPpJ79k2A

[Pew Pew Plates 358]

Whats cool is that the fire burned AROUND the cemetary and its like its own little island IIRC

[RecessedFilter 222]

What kind of camera you shooting with?

[Malsua 1,422]

What kind of camera you shooting with?

 

Save the image to your hard drive. Right click, view details. This shows the Exif data.

 

These pictures were taken with a Nikon D80.

[Dan 177]

Very interesting. I've always wanted to get out to Centralia for exploration. Abandoned places have always fascinated me. Thanks for the photos.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Passed through Centralia many times, and while it is an extreme example (maybe the tunnels are closer to the surface), it is not unusual in deep mining country.

 

Giant's Despair south of Wilkes Barre has also been on fire for over 40 years. Apparently it isn't dangerous to the level Centralia is, as no effort at relocation has ever taken place. They did however, make an attempt to extinguish the fire.

 

There was access to one of the tunnels right in front of the barbershop I used to go to. They constructed a large hopper with a ramp to its brim. The hopper was plumbed into the water system (via a fire hydrant IIRC) and all day, everyday, for months 17 ft dump trucks (thats appx 30 tons) would back up the ramp and dump their load of earth into the hopper, where it was mixed with water to form a slurry and was pumped down into the tunnel. This went on for months. I don't know whether they gave up in frustration, or ran out of funds, but the fire is still burning today. On cold days you can see plumes of steam coming out of naturally occurring vents on the hillside.

 

Giants Despair is also where one of the oldest continuously run (automotive) hill climbs is held. Not sure if he still does, but Oscar Kovalesky and his Polish Racing Team used to hold the hill record in an old can-am car.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[vladtepes 1,060]

yup D80..

 

it's really neat and being only about 30 minutes from where I stay in PA it was a no brainer.. definitely going to go back.. most of the town portion is gone and there are just foundations left which is unfortunate...

[NJScott 15]

In doing research for a term paper on Centralia a couple of years ago, I found an excellent documentary, "The Town That Was". It has some compelling interviews with former and current residents that provide some in-depth perspective to how the the town ended up in its current state. The book "Unseen Danger" is also a good read on the subject. For those of you more inclined to look at the photographic history of the town, pick up "Slow Burn".

[BullzeyeNJ 104]

Wonderful pics! You have a great eye. Not a Nikon guy but when I see pics like yours it almost makes me want to take the plunge to the other side.

 

yup D80..

 

it's really neat and being only about 30 minutes from where I stay in PA it was a no brainer.. definitely going to go back.. most of the town portion is gone and there are just foundations left which is unfortunate...

[vladtepes 1,060]

Wonderful pics! You have a great eye. Not a Nikon guy but when I see pics like yours it almost makes me want to take the plunge to the other side.

 

thank you I appreciate that.. Canon and Nikon both make great equipment..

[CageFighter 236]

Yahoo says its 2 1/2 hrs from north nj! I def wanna go check this place out. Anthony, let me know when u r going back!

[jonny.montana 48]

I wanted to go tomorrow...

[mrjam2jab 9]

Some good info here

[halbautomatisch 60]

I remember driving through on route 61 about 20 years ago, the roadway had some serious dips in it that had been repaved many times, I guess they gave up on trying to maintain it and just rerouted it. I also remember the odd sight of driving through the area in the summertime and seeing all the green foliage until we passed where the fires were burning and all the trees and shrubs were dead and smoke was coming out of the ground, it was a very eerie sight.

[vladtepes 1,060]

2.5 hours is kind of a lot.. lol

I mean like I said it is definitely cool.. but there is not much more there than what I posted.. that I know of at least..

 

BUT with that said.. I would be down to go whenever.. I dont have a job or anything.. just let me know.. LOL

[Midwest 28]

Thanks for the great pictures, some company should offer tours of the area...if someone hasn't already. I think there could be enough interest in this.

 

 

I believe the area is a good candidate for a movie location. We keep hearing the term "Zombies" a lot. One could imagine a film with the title like "Zombies After the Apocalypse" being filmed there. It could be about the aftermath of WW III and ...one can guess the rest.

 

The comments about it looking like Chernobyl, it does ...there are some interesting pictures from a Elena who visited Chernobyl years later. http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chernobyl-land-of-the-wolves/chapter29.html

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Vlad may be responsible for singlehandedly turning the Centralia boondoggle into PA's leading tourist attraction. Folks, believe me, when Vlad said that his pictures pretty much show everything there is to see, of any interest in Centralia, he was right. Was probably actually overstating the case.

 

If you are traveling in that direction, it is a nice distraction. Get off the highway and take some nice secondary roads. But to travel 2 plus hours to see what remains of Centralia will be highly disappointing, I assure you.

 

It is only about an hour travel time (appx 37 miles) north of Cabela's, so if you really must see it, maybe you can make it a "twofer" and hit both places.

 

Drive safely.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Nice pic's, I pass through there when I am on the way to Numedia drag strip for the AHDRA races each year.