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360 Virtual Tours
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Memories of Centralia


Panoramic Virtual Tours:

Mine Fire Hot Spot
Downtown Centralia Mainstreet Centralia Damaged Hillside

 
 
   
Knoebels Amusement Park (only 15 miles from Centralia!) 
Ghost Towns
Area 51 - Groom Lake
Abandoned PA Turnpike
Defunct Amusement Parks
Abandoned Places

  

Photo Updates:


Centralia in HDR

July 2006 360? Virtual Tour of Downtown Centralia PA

Centralia's Neighbor:
Byrnesville, Pa

Zeisloft's Mobil
Gas Station

July 5th 2008
Centralia PA

Centralia PA 2008
January Photos and 
commentary by
Donald Davis


2006 Photos


2005 Photos
of Centralia


 

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2004 Photos
of Centralia


2003 photos

of Centralia

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2002 photos

of Centralia


360 Degree Virtual Tours of Centralia PA
 

Fire In The Hole
by Kristie Betts
A fictional story based on Centralia
 

The Little
Town That Was

by Donald Hollinger

 

RESIDENTS TO SAVE THE BOROUGH OF CENTRALIA - FACT SHEET #6 - MARCH 1984 - This "Fact Sheet" was transcribed from a photocopied, original March 1984 newsletter from a Centralia organization called "Residents To Save The Borough Of Centralia".  Read the News Letter here


130th Anniversary
of the 1877 Shamokin Uprising and the Great Railroad Strike .. Read More

 

Centralia Today
A Photo Documentary
of Centralia today.

 

Mine Emergency Response Program
Details from the
Saskatchewan
Mine Rescue Manual
 

















 

Other Mine Fires

 

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The Red Ash Mine Fire 
This fire started on the property of the Red Ash Coal Company in Laurel Run, PA. The fire was discovered around 1915. The coal company took measures to put it out, such as sealing openings and flushing tunnels. They though it was out, until in 1922 it was in fact found that the fire spread to underground coal seams. It the 1960's people along the border of Wilkes-Barre Township and Laurel Run had to leave homes, schools,. shops and churches because of the fire. Smoke and stream vent from pipes along several holes that connect to the mines. The fire is still burning today. Steam and smoke can be seen from the valley below in several spots.  http://www.undergroundminers.com/laurelrun.html

 

My name is Raymond J. Milius, I was born in Girardville Jan. 7th, 1924.  Many a Saturday, My Father, my brother, and I, picked coal from the coal refuge bank, at the foot of the sloop located across the creek from the drift, of the "Blast" colliery.  About 1932 the mine caught fire, rumors were that the cause was a miner smoking, who left the butt lit.  To extinguish the fire, it was to be flooded, the drift was blasted shut.  The year 1943, I've visited Girardville, with three of my friends who were to be inducted into the army .  Due to the energy shortage, the "Blast" drift was opened the water was drained.  The mine was still  burning,  the drift was closed, the mine was reflooded  In 1960, my wife and I, on our "Honeymoon", drove to Shamokin, Pa.  On the north side of the highway from Mt. Carmel to Shamokin, driving at night, the westward red glow on the mountain  was very visible, from the burning coal vein.

              Signed; Raymond J. Milius.

The New Jersey Coal Company Mine Fire 
A fire broke out in the workings of the New Jersey Coal Company on top of Plymouth Mountain. This occurred some time in the 1930's. It is thought to be out.

The West Side Mine Fire 
This fire has been burning off of Dundaff Street in Carbondale since before the 1960's. In the 60's people got sick from the carbon monoxide gas and I believe one person died. Close to 600 families had to move out of the neighborhood over the years because of this fire. It is still burning and the site being worked by heavy equipment. 

The Powderly Culm Bank Fire 
Also in Carbondale, PA this fire is thought to be out. It was starting in culm banks at the former Powderly Colliery. This site has been dug up and watered down and no sign of fire has been detected for about two years. The fire may have spread to underground coal seams and evidence of it may not be visible. 

Beaver Brook Mine Fire 
A mine fire has been detected in the boro of Beaver Brook near Hazleton. The mine fire started when garbage dumped in a stripping pit was set on fire. Officials from the Office of Surface Mining called in heavy equipment to try to dig up the fire. It is not known at the time if the fire has spread to coal seams. This is the same way the infamous Centralia, PA fire started. 

Other Pennsylvania Mine Fires
There are many underground mine fires in Pennsylvania as well as around the world.  Pennsylvania has over a quarter million acres of abandoned mine lands and has over a third of the nations mine problems. There are over 45 mine fires burning across Pennsylvania. There are five underground fires in Allegheny County, five in Percy County, one in Westmoreland, and others in more isolated areas. There are also fires in Findlay Twp., West Elizabeth, Plum, and Clinton. "In all, the DEP estimates about 1,300 acres across the state are on fire underground." (Glover, 1998). One particular town, Youngstown, is under the wrath of the Percy fire that has been burning for over 30 years. There are about 60 homes resting on top of this fire now. Youngstown is reaching the critical decision point that Centralia reached in 1983, either extinguish the fire or relocate the whole town. Estimates conclude that extinguishing the Percy fire will cost $30 to $40 million, and over $650 million to put out all nationwide fires (Glover, 1998).

 

Links to info about other mine fires:

Fire in the mine
Cherry mine disaster (Illinois) more than ninety years ago

Coal Fire Monitoring and Fighting in China
EARS web site about the Ningxia Coal Fire Project, China

Coal Fire Monitoring and Fighting in China
NITG-TNO pdf file about the Ningxia Coal Fire Project, China

Netherlands Earth Observation NETwork
Environmental monitoring of coal fires in North China Project Identification Mission Report October 1993

Feuer unter China (1999)
Article in the German journal "Der Spiegel" about the numerous coal fires in China

Sunken Fires Menace Land and Climate (2002)
"The New York Times" reports from the impact of coal fires in coal producing countries. Access it either at NYT home site as web article or at ITC Coal Fire Homepage as scanned article.

Chronologies of Recent Mine Fires
MSHA: Mine Safety and Health Administration

How China's scramble for 'black gold' is causing a green disaster (2002)
A report in "The Daily Telegraph" from the coal fields at Ningxia, north west China, on one of the world's little-known environmental catastrophes. Access it either at DT home site as web article or at ITC Coal Fire Homepage as scanned article.

The Fire Below
Spontaneous Combustion in Coal

Hidden Coal Fires Create Visible Problems

       

 
  Mine Fire History Mine Fire History Historical Photos
  Pictures From Today Mine Fire Chronology Visiting Centralia
  Centralia Then & Now 360? Virtual Tours Scientific Study
  Satellite, Aerial Photos Downtown Panoramic Centralia Books

  

Other Interesting Things

 

 


 

So you want to Visit Centralia PA?  What you should know before you go to Centralia PA.

 

The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict

 


















 

What's near Centralia?

Plan your visit around one of Pennsylvania's best kept secrets located only 15 miles up the road from Centralia...


Knoebels
Amusement Park

Click Below for
 more details...

Knoebels
Amusement Park

 


Silent Hill & Centralia
Centralia PA inspires screenwriter Roger Avary during the making of the movie Silent Hill.
Read More Here...

 

Remembering ...
Byrnesville PA
By Mike Reilley

 
  Books about Centralia
  Maps of Centralia
  Around Town Today
  Local Attractions
 
  Personal Notes
  Additional Reading
  Haunted Centralia?
 
  Gerry McWilliams and
  the album "Centralia"
  
  Silent Hill Inspiration
  Other Mine Fires
  Search Centralia
  Centralia Sites/Books
  
Panoramic Virtual Tours:
Mine Fire Hot Spot
Downtown Centralia Mainstreet Centralia Damaged Hillside
  
 
  Centralia Infrared


Centralia PA in B&W Infrared
Infrared Photography
by Donald Davis

Video Tour
in Infrared of
Centralia PA
by Donald Davis

  

The Little Town That Was
by Donald Hollinger
 
  
Made in U.S.A. - 1987 movie that was filmed on location in Centralia PA See the opening Scene that started in Centralia during the peek of the mine fire disaster

 
 

 

Is Centralia Haunted?
Explore the possibility

 
The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict
 
  

Is there Hope
for Centralia?

Maybe...

Through the use of Nitrogen-Enhanced foam the Pinnacle mine fire was extinguished by Cummins Industries, Inc.  Cummins proposes to tackle the Centralia Mine fire and bring an end to the 
40 plus year fire.

Read this White Paper which evaluates the effectiveness of remotely applied nitrogen-enhanced foam to aid in efforts to isolate and suppress a mine fire.