A Brief History of: The Centralia Mine Fire (Short Documentary)

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Fancy another similar video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2Pdh4FrrM2CZ9k

[@mauricedavis8261]

Yes please!!!🙏👌😎

[@mauricedavis8261]

A lesson in utter futility!!!🙏🤔

[@mauricedavis8261]

Five residents is not a town it's a basketball team!!!🙏🤔

[@SooSmokie]

The New Straitsville mine fire. Longest mine fire In the USA. In ohio! Do a story on it next. Even better story, they used to brew coffee with the water from a well since it was already boiling. Was a roadside attraction!

[@sillenHDsportster]

8:12 What is novemeber ?

[@DavidCurryFilms]

The town with central heating :0

[@PlainlyDifficult]

😂😂

[@koitk]

Geothermal

[@jenniferbaldini3527]

*GROANS* (Good one!) 😉

[@bunnywarren]

People built greenhouses to grow vegetables in and they were warm all year because of the heating from underneath. I've seen stories online of no snow settling even in the coldest winters and lettuces grown in January.

[@RCAvhstape]

Heated roads for the winter, nice.

[@notdipperpines6626]

I live 5 minutes from here! The graffiti high way was actually covered because its collapsing in in itself and starting to smoke. The fire is now spreading slowly towards the next town over, Ashland (ironic I know).

[@speedracer1945]

I'm sure also so no fatal injuries in case of a sinkhole.

[@williambillus1225]

The fire isn’t moving towards Ashland...that will never happen... the fire has always traveled east and west of the starting point.. it didn’t move west for very long as it ran out of fuel to do so....

[@austindrumhe4937]

They specifically dumped the dirt into big piles so that atvs can’t get around, so unless they dumped the dirt that way to kill two birds with one stone, I don’t think they covered the highway because of the fire. (I live 20 mins away)

[@kyleanderson910]

Why don't thay blow up the ground. So it will smother its self

[@Sickles985]

Aye another Pennsylvanion! How you doing?

[@6777Productions]

Option A: Remove trash legally and safely, causing no harm to the residents, for a very small fee. Option B: Set trash on fire illegally, pose many to potentially deadly health problems, and force the eviction of practically the entire town. Town council: *OPTION B*

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Standard for most councils unfortunately

[@juststeve5542]

Yeah, my local council are that dumb too. We have excessive fly tipping problems, which even involved police operations to try to catch those responsible, all because the refuse tips either refuse commercial waste, or charge way too much to take it. Well that, and the number of py-key camps we have locally...

[@jaketarlin1852]

Mr. difficult how come they didn’t fill the trenches with water and just have a continuous flow down there for a little bit oh that’s right. That would make way too much sense

[@jamestheotherone742]

@@jaketarlin1852 The drilling of the wells was an attempt to do that. It would take literally millions of gallons, the combustion gas pressure will prevent the water from flowing ( ie: vapor lock), and the galleries that are on fire aren't all down hill.

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

The town was already jobless and moribund by 1962: coal mining peaked in the area during the 1940s and by the 60s nobody was burning coal anymore and the local jobs were all gone. Anybody with a family to support moved elsewhere; the average resident of Centralia during 1962 was an elderly ex-coal miner surviving on social security. So no, they weren't going to pay to haul the trash away. You don't pay for 1st world civic amenities in a mountain coal mining town in 1962.

[@gateauxq4604]

Ah that age-old tradition of ‘why spend a couple bucks now when we can spend millions in a couple years?’ 🤦

[@skylined5534]

Every council's mantra!

[@justtime6736]

I don't think I've seen a bigger 'pay now or pay later' gap. $175. That. That fucking amount. What's next someone gets a $5 overdraft, snowballs into 3/4 of Gov budget depleted? Wait...

[@evonekky3672]

Same thing with preventative health care. Instead of screening for early issues and helping people before conditions develop, insurance wants to wait until it's "serious" enough to warrant hospitalization. So much money could be saved and so much pain and suffering spared.

[@wishbone4038]

"Bleep Bleep It's f*ked" I really enjoy how to the point and educational your content is, and yet you still find ways to crack me up

[@Revilerify]

Balls.

[@shadowcaptaincain]

I laughed way to hard when that popped up. I always take the it when an detection system to warn of bad things goes to max as an "It was at this moment that you knew.."

[@mook-landstrider1908]

As someone who has family in the area, had a grandfather who was a mine inspector in the ashland, Mt Carmel and Shamokin area I always love seeing things on this. We weren't affected by it but I've met people who were and some of those that had to leave. Always an interesting topic.

[@ElectExile]

Was your grandfather Pete G?

[@kruggsmash]

very concise. One of the best videos on Centralia 've seen.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@circeciernova1712]

Good to hear this from an expert on combining mining with fire.

[@richardmoore5347]

@Santa Clause Not gunna lie, I was expecting a link to one of Krugg's mining "adventures"

[@JennyfaninSweden]

The bearded bastard himself!

[@VarenvelDarakus]

@Santa Clause was about to link that one , its one of most interesting documentaries i seen in my life. I live in europe.

[@BarelyMakinIt]

Interesting that a guy named Faust would be credited for the beginnings of a town that became a modern-day gateway-to-hell.

[@FlyingSavannahs]

Woe betide any town founded by a Montague or Capulet! Hold it...didn't Jim Jones call his enclave Jonestown? Yikes!

[@scottbilger9294]

I was wondering if anyone else picked up on that.

[@FlyingSavannahs]

@@scottbilger9294 I grew up near the Guthrie repertory theatre in Minneapolis. At the Guthrie's production, the dramaturge wrote that some performances of _Faust's_ conjuring of Mephistopheles were accompanied by unsettling supernatural activity in the theatre!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

I noticed the name _Faust_ as well...😊

[@ryalfr0g863]

I thought Faust was Faucet lmao

[@trevordavis9390]

They just recently covered the graffiti highway with dirt, hoping to deter sightseeing. Instead a ton of people now use it for ATV off-roading 😂😂

[@Krispymans]

Awe man, good bye dick graffiti highway

[@wildgingerhunter4441]

Dam when did they do that ? It’s been 2 years since was up that way with a few friends .

[@trevordavis9390]

@@wildgingerhunter4441 like 3 months ago

[@wildgingerhunter4441]

@@trevordavis9390 thanks , I saw the paper on what they did , I understand but still what a shame .

[@tannerwolfgang9266]

I cannot blame them their was also a lot of illegal drink and occasionally firework which made their area from historical vist to more of a wild bush party feeling. And alot of people also drove vechile in a dangeis manner past people just trying to vist the road

[@mpeg2tom]

I visited Centralia with my father as a kid, I still remember seeing the smoke coming out from the ground in small patches everywhere!

[@looseele]

It seems to be going out.

[@amywilliams4972]

I have some crazy pictures from there when we were younger. I don't think you can get close anymore...I think

[@stephanie3848]

@@looseeleI agree. I was there in 2017, 2018 and did not see a wisp of smoke. Wouldn't be surprised if the fires were out no matter what they said. It just looked like woods with one ordinary looking house on the side. Kind of boring actually

[@Wolfsbane909]

do tourists still ask if there any gold in the abandonded mine shafts thats on FIRE?

[@goldenpun5592]

Local Govt: "We don't wanna spend too much to try to stop this disaster from spreading" Federal Govt: Here's 42 million dollars, get the F*** out

[@neilkurzman4907]

Tens of millions wasted trying to save hundreds.

[@spacetechempire510]

@@neilkurzman4907 well the coal will continue to burn for over a century due to the fire. And the land could of been used for other things. Remember it was still a great sorce of carbon.

[@neilkurzman4907]

@@spacetechempire510 It’s a waste of coal, a waste of land , A waste of money. just a waste.

[@goldenpun5592]

It is PA so like... There coulda been 3 italian restaurants and a single chinese place that starts out good but gets shittier over time... Maybe a redners... Who knows! But no it is really sad that so many lost their homes and jobs...

[@spacetechempire510]

@@neilkurzman4907 welp we caint do anything the fires almost impossible to put or now. To meany mines. And fule.

[@henryrolt3747]

This is exactly the kind of confidence in human leadership I needed in the middle of a global pandemic....

[@P7777-u7r]

Yeah but its as true today as it was then that there is no confidence to be had

[@unassistedsuicide2243]

You had any to begin with? Why?

[@LindaFromSeaAtTull]

Plandemic

[@jari2018]

and it will get worse -not the brightest minds are bright enough or have courage

[@trevordavis9390]

I really appreciate how plainly difficult puts a little pause button in the top right corner before an ad so you can skip ten seconds forward and then back again to bypass the ad

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you it’s known as a cue mark, they are on uk tv to let you know when to boil your kettle

[@trevordavis9390]

@@PlainlyDifficult wow, cool. I wish we had that in the states. They actually WANT you to watch the ads here.

[@fastinradfordable]

Some put on a kettle. Others pack up a bowl

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

@@trevordavis9390 The BBC doesn't run on wishes and dreams. Every U.K. resident who owns a TV is charged a mandatory $209 fee every year for the privilege of the BBC's content, regardless of whether they watch it or not. This fee is not optional, and the BBC will harass and threaten you if you don't pay it.

[@trevordavis9390]

@@Rutherford_Inchworm_III wtf wow. Is that the only bill you have to pay for television? Or do you have to pay more for more channels

[@chestersnap]

Wow. I love how every single time the council had multiple options in front of them they picked the cheapest one even though all of the previous cheapest options only seemed to make things worse

[@MrMoose-bl7jv]

gotta love it

[@jameswalker4225]

Must make the founders of Centralia just so proud their descendants were so penny-wise and pound-foolish

[@sovereigngnx4682]

American bureaucracy, in a nutshell.

[@jenaf372]

For April 1st make a video about an incident at 0 on the plainly difficult disaster scale pls.

[@volvo09]

@TODarkschnider420 that is awesome!

[@phantomaviator1318]

"Here is the time my wife forgot how to make mashed potatoes'

[@casbyness]

He should just set a small fire in his garden, take photos, craft a backstory then present it as a prank disaster :) Or maybe do a video based on the dollhouse fire in the TV show "Friends"

[@Misha-dr9rh]

@TODarkschnider420 That has to be one of the best april fools jokes of all time. I bet the USGS wasn't too happy about that.

[@philips.5563]

It's just a somewhat disappointing Tuesday.

[@deusexaethera]

For some strange reason, I admire the effort you undergo to ensure that your "around here on a map" segments are _always completely useless._

[@clementwolf4081]

to be fair imagine being asked to point out a UNDERGROUND fire in a town where nobody lives, cant exactly ask for directions.

[@francis318VH]

@@clementwolf4081 For non-american viewers it´s useful to know where it is, as north america is not precisely small 😂😂

[@BM94849]

I guess the channel is called "Plainly Difficult" for a reason... lmao

[@planescaped]

I'm waiting for him to throw darts at a map for the "around here" gag.

[@clancyjames585]

Needs to do some extreme close-ups, showing three pebbles, some grass, and an ant

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I hope you enjoyed the video any suggestions for new subjects let me know!!

[@LaminarTurbulence]

Can you do a video on the Ajka red mud disaster?

[@PHelsing]

hmmm why not make one on the Beirut explosion?

[@electrohalo8798]

come now comrades, we need one on Chernobyl, (maybe as a Christmas special)

[@demonsaint1296]

Love Canal

[@markrice41]

How about the Bastrop county fire 2011? Bastrop TX. Got into Lost Pines forest into pine needles. Like a sawdust fire, kept breaking out. Combination of poor electrical right of way maintenance and poorly thought out forest management. Burned for a month.

[@seals2cute]

hii i’m someone who lives in pa and has driven around and through centralia several times and it’s actually not as scary or weird as you would think, it’s just overgrown and a little abandoned but nothing out of the ordinary (despite there being an active fire under it)

[@bartfoster1311]

This is one of those bizarre disasters that will hopefully not be repeated. Don't burn your trash!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Very good advice

[@markrice41]

@@PlainlyDifficult Isn't there a similar peat fire still burning somewhere in northern England/southern Scotland? It used to make the news in the 1950s and earlier. I'd like to see an episode on that.

[@jamestheotherone742]

@@markrice41 There are many of these around the world. Some are natural, lightning strikes or a wildfire on an exposed seam etc. There is some in China that have been burning for hundreds of years. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire

[@bartfoster1311]

@@PlainlyDifficult excellent job as always covering the subject! I learned new things in this that I hadn't seen before like the illegal mining of the pillars. Thanks for the quality content!

[@planetphatness]

Due to my city forcing us to use smaller and limiting trash cans, I have to burn my remaining trash. Mostly things like cardboard, plastic containers and milk jugs.

[@takotlensky]

I suspect it’s already been suggested, but the Donora smog disaster of October 1948 would make a great topic. Donora, PA’s not too far west of the site of your earlier video on the Waltz Mill Westinghouse accident. Keep up the great work!

[@DrBrown88]

I love the cartoon drawings, the thought bubbles and the way all your videos are put together! You make them very interesting and quite informative in such a short time-frame. Thank you for all you do, and great job! I love it!

[@willisknapick4405]

My ex's family lived a half hour away. We drove through the area in 1970. Got to an intersection turned right and saw construction workers on both sides of the road. The road was resurfaced with new macadem. The base of the trees were browned because of the underground heat. Steam rose from the ground on both sides of the road. Really weird sight...to say the least.

[@FliesLikeABrick]

This has the makings of a "Normal Accident" rather than "just" some bizzare fluke occurrence: If you put enough variables into the mix with enough mines, people, and economic pressures (leading to illegal dumping, bootleg coal mining, etc)... and you get a system accident compounded by the tight coupling (burning leads to more burning, before solutions can be decided enacted) and lack of system visibility (it's all underground). I recommend Normal Accidents by Charles Perrow for more on why stuff like this is inevitable, and how system design choices can reduce the incidence. It is relevant to all kinds of technical and other systems - a great read for any engineer who wants to design, implement, support, or improve systems that have easier-to-manage and less-risky failure modes.

[@awesomeferret]

I don't recommend it, it's not unfair or absurd to say that that book is outdated. I agree with its overall premise, but I'm a bit biased because tech and computers has been my hobby since I was about ten years old so I know enough to be cynical about technology, but admittedly most of its predictions have obviously not come to pass. We live in a world so much more infinitely complex technologically than he ever could have imagined when he wrote that book (so complex that most people take it for granted). I bet you forgot about cars when recommending that book. Cars have become so much more advanced than they were when that book was written and because of that, cars are significantly safer. Some goes for most other technologies, things actually got safer, not more dangerous. There are obviously exceptions but the premise of the book as presented by the author is questionable at best.

[@tripwire4727]

@@awesomeferret i havnt read the book yet, but a counterpoint may be boeings implementation of new software on old planes, resulting in disaster. I might also point out the Chevy volt buy back. (Batteries exploding) and I think you are limiting the damage done to your own little world. Many "safe" systems you use every day cause much damage elsewhere in the world.

[@jameswalker4225]

“Tight coupling”, multiple humorous definitions come to mind in Appalachia…

[@XenonExcision]

I was just in centralia last night walking the abandoned side streets and up by the church on the hill, such a cool place, they started covering graffiti highway since people wouldn't stop trashing it before and during the pandemic

[@c0t0d0s7]

I thought about visiting Centralia but found out they ain’t got no log ride. I’ll spend my money elsewhere.

[@MrMatteNWk]

@@c0t0d0s7 Knoelbels is right around the corner. If you don't like the Log Ride, there's always Phoenix

[@smashingpumpkin1986]

There's a mine fire like this near me, Clara Vale in Northumberland. It's crazy that these things happen

[@adalbertosantiagopagan8738]

Really? I live 15 mins away from Northumberland, I gotta check this out lol

[@gcooper642]

I also did not know this. Wondering how close I've ever lived to it.

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

These bastards burn forever, too. Impossible to put out once they've spread.

[@notyou6674]

how is it possible for a fire to go on this long...

[@Rammstein0963.]

... they said it in the video, fuel...

[@diditbreak]

"Whoops" - The guy who suggested burning the garbage

[@soldierorsomething]

Just imagine that the dude that set it on fire has probably been dead for over 10 years by now but yet it burns and burns, basically all the residents of that town will die of old age before the fire stops burning

[@maxi-me]

Followed by a classic Urkel: " did I do that?"

[@jeremy8189]

Ive heard endlessly about this topic and Plainly difficult still got me to watch cause I knew the presentation would be worth it. I was not disappointed!

[@kristinepfs]

He did a great job. I have seen many, many Centralia videos, and still learned a lot from this one.

[@gcooper642]

Same. I've been a bit obsessed with this place and I still learned things from this video.

[@rachele7398]

Same

[@isaacnoe12lh]

Just passed by and it's VERY creepy. It's completely empty. The last resident is gone now. The cool highway is now covered in pulled of dirt, for safety reason.

[@kevinkorenke3569]

I love your oh so informational "here it is on a map" moment.

[@rognvaldrasbjrn3972]

There's an underground fire in the mines somewhere in Gauteng in South Africa that's been burning for around 100 years or something like that.

[@lipstickzombie4981]

The real Silent Hill. 👍

[@torquetheprisoner]

thats right

[@ashkebora7262]

Isn't the coal mine fire in/near KS a lot bigger than this one?

[@SeanHiruki]

@@ashkebora7262 probably but Silent Hill is specifically based off of Centralia

[@GrandCorsair]

@@SeanHiruki The movies yes. The original games are not.

[@phantomaviator1318]

@@SeanHiruki WHAT?!

[@fensoxx]

Thorough! I have seen countless coverage of this. Yours is the best yet! Thanks

[@williamdunnamjr972]

Another quality Plainly Difficult production. I am a proud member of the Plainly Diffi-Cult.

[@lornaginetteharrison7168]

Ooh...that’s clever! Kudos, Good Sir!☺️

[@chen4672]

Thats actually so clever wtf

[@catsoften]

0:48 "Which is around here on a map" Thanks very helpful

[@WCWThunderRosa]

That big green square with nothing on it is the most accurate Pennsylvania map I’ve ever seen

[@GatAppTechnologies]

awesome video. I was in centralia for Search and Rescue training about a year ago which the mayor approved. Was interesting to see the graffiti highway. They are actually covered it up these days because despite being private land, everyone was walking all over it.

[@sidharthcs2110]

Meanwhile , the soviets put out an oil field fire with a nuke. It was in the middle of nowhere btw

[@wtfiswiththosehandles]

Well, it's a known method of putting out oil field fires. With an explosion that is, not necessarily nucular.

[@bartfoster1311]

@@wtfiswiththosehandles have you seen the T34 tank with water blasting jets they used to blow some of the fires out?

[@foreverpinkf.7603]

You can´t compare an oil fire on the surface with a slow burning coal fire undergrounds; don´t give the Orange Ape ideas for his last days in the WH.

[@jfan4reva]

Yeah,,,nukes are portable middle of nowhere devices. If it ain't before, it is after.

[@onometre]

@General Bismarck no lol he's not making progress at all. what happened friday was that one of his lawsuits was struck down by federal courts.

[@bubbab89]

I have walked on that ground. Its very eerie seeing smoke come up from the ground through the cracks in the pavement from the fire raging below. (The last time I was there, 1 resident still lived there)

[@handle-schmandle]

Most recent videos only show steam coming from the ground way out in the woods. You must have walked on that ground 15 years ago or so?

[@bubbab89]

@@handle-schmandle yes, it's been quite a long time. Probably 13-15 years yeah. Cause I was just a teen back then

[@cultbender]

i’m back at my parents in Schuylkill County and i’m only about 20 minutes away! The area is honestly disinteresting now and there isn’t much to see anymore, especially after they closed down the old-61 road trail. If you guys have any follow up questions, please let me know as I have done a lot research on the matter.

[@FlyingSavannahs]

What's the areal extent of the fire, if known?

[@cultbender]

@@FlyingSavannahs While I don’t know the exact sq. mileage off hand, I do know that the fire is ever spreading, and someday will become a threat to the other local communities such as Frackville, Ashland and the other smaller villages in the area.

[@pahunter9415]

@@FlyingSavannahs little late buy as colt said its ever spreading. Buy from what I hear a local Rich family is buying the property for dirt cheap to mine the coal out. Of course to help the local area

[@AveragePicker]

@@dawnm1292 I don't know 100% and haven't been there for awhile but my understanding was there one official resident, but another 2-6 that still are listed address wise there but live elsewhere in the area.

[@williambillus1225]

@@cultbender the fire will never affect Ashland or Frackville.. the fire stopped moving west long ago as there wasn’t enough fuel for it to do so.. either mined out already, or the veins pinched down to nothing at some point.. it has been moving east... but it’s rate of spread is so slow.. odds are if it ever even reached Girardville area.. none of us will be alive that long to see it happen.

[@brucesmith9144]

I’ve been through Centralia at the time the fire became an issue for the state of Pennsylvania to resolve. I remember seeing smoke coming out from pipes and along the side of Route 61 (now detoured). A great movie to watch with history from former Centralia residents’ perspective is _The Town That Was_ .

[@kristinepfs]

I remember driving through there frequently when I lived in the area, on the way to Ashland. I always liked seeing the "We Love Centralia" sign right along the road through the area.

[@CreepyAndWeirdPodcast]

Good video! And thanks for not spreading misinformation that it "inspired" the Silent Hill series, the town name was only used as a code name for the first film during production (the original Japanese developers never once mentioned it), but that rumor has spread far and wide. It's an interesting town to learn about without that. I live in PA and know people who have visited, but with my asthma and the fact that it's dangerous, I'm good with just learning from videos.

[@_comment]

The early access patrons really dropped the ball in pointing out that line flub at 9:47

[@FlyingSavannahs]

PD's mistakes aren't flubbs, they're easter eggs.

[@JayLeePoe]

_Nothing But Trouble_ is an incredibly insane, niche Dan Aykroyd film that displays his mania without rails and somehow also uniquely features a town essentially parallel with Centralia-- which becomes apparent by the end but is more subtle about these hints if you're familiar with The Poconos area and how the _strip mined_ regions around it can be quite desolate like Sauron's Lair.

[@brunetteordie]

The ineptness of government knows no limits.

[@Oldass_Deadass_dumbass_channel]

I'm pretty sure it was a Town council

[@rachele7398]

That side note with a note on its side was fantastic. Great vid, one hell of a story

[@Craxin01]

This town is also the inspiration of the movie version of Silent Hill.

[@bababooeydude]

How about the movie nothing but trouble

[@daniellexdawn]

I live about 30 mins from here and have always been fascinated by the location...great video!!

[@Pusher97]

Yes! As tragic as this is, it has always fascinated me. Really glad you covered it. Always good to get more info.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@SquishyZoran]

Your profile picture is probably one of the funniest I have ever seen!

[@Pusher97]

@@SquishyZoran Thank you kindly, friend.

[@SquishyZoran]

@@Pusher97 You’re welcome!

[@stanleyrucci21]

As many times as I have been there, I never had it explained this clearly, with all the details. Awesome area to check out, especially some of the nearby mine tours. Oh and the. Est amusement park in the state, Knoebels! It's a short drive that takes you back in time! Also the Odd Fellow's cemetery at Centralia is a site to see, steam coming out of the graves at times is an Erie site to see!

[@bernard7allon481]

Great videos, love your work

[@grahamsawyer831]

Mr. Plainly you are spoiling us. Love this one, absolutely classic

[@imaguy123]

Option A: Proper waste management? Option B: Start an uncontrollable fire that will burn for 100 years? City council: OPTION B!

[@alexandergangaware429]

"We have several options to spend actual money on more-or-less serious practical solutions, or we can do the cheapest thing possible, which has not worked yet." "Cheapest, you say? Fascinating! I must hear more."

[@limitless_93]

*snaps my finger* You son of a bitch. I'm in!

[@orguksilverbeard7658]

I live somewhat close to centralia, Northumberland if you're interested. I grew up learning about it in school, it's really cool seeing you cover it.

[@PAYNEFPV]

There’s actually a bunch of mine fires in Pa, among other states and countries. One of them is 10 minutes from where I live (drone video of it on my channel). But, this one at Centralia just so happened to wipe out the entire town. I’ve been there a few times and it’s spooky/weird/cool.

[@haroldgeorge4412]

I lived in Frackville PA which is not that far from Centrailia. In fact went to high school with a lot of kids from there. Sad what it’s become.

[@NemFX]

I just find it weird that the town's name was changed twice, and that the second time it was literally just the post office being like "no." They clearly missed the memo, that it's great to be a kid at centerville.

[@danielbishop1863]

The Post Office refused because there was already a town named Centerville elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and they insisted that city/state combinations be unique in order to avoid misdirecting mail.

[@sonicspeedx13]

Just listen to the dollop episode about this subject just the other day. Always happy to hear different ways to talk about stuff like this.

[@DavidCurryFilms]

Also, you wonder if the attempts to dig actually gave a blast of fresh oxygen the smouldering coal further along the seam? 😂

[@tncorgi92]

Yeah, I was wondering how it could keep burning unless air was somehow getting in.

[@Aztesticals]

@@tncorgi92 the issue was also that many of the seems are connected by cracks in the ground. Yoy would have to plug every hole, every crack, every sliver

[@KB4QAA]

Bing, bing! Give that man a Kewpie Doll!!

[@DavidCurryFilms]

@@Aztesticals indeed it was a nightmare to have contain, from the start🤔

[@usmale4915]

That sounds very logical to me!

[@tannerwolfgang9266]

As a person who loves fairly close to centralia is a great video outlining the town's history farther back the the historical ignition point

[@PHelsing]

Plainly Difficult , making weekends and the pandemic more bearable . Thanks 😁

[@bbybby91]

It’s pretty wild actually being around Centralia, like the neighboring towns, like if you didn’t know about it then you’d never know what’s nearby, it’s so secluded.

[@komitadjie]

The number of coal seam fires around the world is *staggering!*

[@dustinwashburn1283]

"Hey, let's ignore the law and start this fire to trash to save money!" "Oh no! We don't have enough money to control this fire we started to save money!"

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

I’m 62 now. This started when I was in grade school. I remember reading about it in my Weekly Reader (common US children’s newspaper used in grade schools to teach current events and encourage reading.) Back then they were still thinking that they would find a solution to stop it.

[@FlyingSavannahs]

Wow! I'm two years younger and I don't remember any specific Weekly Reader articles. Well played! I _do_ remember the first Earth Day, though!

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

@@FlyingSavannahs it made a huge impression on me at the time because all my family was from PA and coal mines were always in the news.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

Almost remember the first Earth Day but don’t think anything local was done for it, sadly.

[@FlyingSavannahs]

@@kimhohlmayer7018 That's certainly a good reason. Going on a hunch of a memory likely stored by fewer than 10 neurons, I'm almost believing I read about the reintroduction of the California Condor in the Sierra Nevadas in a Weekly Reader way back then. Although I could be mistaking this for one of the rare National Geographic TV specials.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

@@FlyingSavannahs I have always had a weird memory. I can’t tell you important things like where I filed my husband’s death certificate but I remember childhood stuff clearly.

[@constructapex2021]

I live about an hour away this was cool to see on your channel, shoutout from the other side of the pond 😁

[@SynchroScore]

I think the ultimate lesson here is how trying to do things on the cheap will get you in the long run. Could've cleared all the garbage away for a bit more money, but they decided to cheap out and just burn it, and ended up destroying the entire town in the long run.

[@Mochrie99]

I was wondering if you'd ever do a video about Centralia. Now I don't have to wonder anymore. Another great video!

[@SirWilliamKidney]

What about the guy with the triangle head? Where did he come from?

[@andrewsmart2949]

red apex/red pyrimid

[@sylusmk2]

so glad i got to see the highway in person before they covered it up. went about 5 years ago

[@mirceadcd]

PiramidHead approves this!

[@andrewsmart2949]

red apex/red pyrimid

[@oganvildevil]

I always learn something new from your videos, even on subjects I've heard a lot about, love it

[@DBMe33]

The interesting irony(?🤔) of the founder of this town, that has a perpetual fire burning under it, having the last name Faust is not lost on me. I had not heard of that b4. 🤓🧐

[@Tindometari]

It's worth noting that the grid-maze left behind in room-and-pillar mining is pretty close to ideal for ventilating a coal-seam fire, especially if it has enough open connection to the atmosphere to support a draft. That plus one surface breach to vent, and those underground passages essentially become a gigantic furnace. And the room-and-pillar space can't easily be blocked off to control the fire's advance, or break the draft to starve the fire of oxygen from below, either. There are too many routes for air and fire to take.

[@gyromurphy]

Yesssss!!!!! Been waiting years for this one. Also... let's get this straight. Within 150 miles of where I am now there's been a nuclear meltdown on a certain 3 mile long island and there's a veritable hellscape seeping up through the earth. Not to mention all the mine subsidence that's occurred around my town (houses literally being consumed by the ground as abandoned coal mines collapse underneath them). This is my home...and I secretly love that all this stuff has happened because I think it's cool. Something is seriously wrong with me

[@susanlansdell863]

You don’t work in real estate do you?xx😂

[@gyromurphy]

@@susanlansdell863 I manage a few CBD shops in Pittsburgh. The reason why I know about the mine subsidence houses is because the town I grew up in (Leechburg) had it's fair share of it happening. The block catty-cornered from mine had to get bulldozed because of it. The whole thing. Like 5 families got paid by the coal company to pick up and move because they messed up and didn't properly secure the mines after leaving. A lot of lawsuits and relocating later... Aaaaand for the next two years they brought in this big machine that pumped In concrete to fill the mines. This was in 1997 ...I was about 14 at the time..and our house only had a few little cracks in the foundation walls which were easily repaired...so we were ok. But my neighbor's homes had these huge fissures running up the side of their homes. You could see into some of them. The siding would be all over the ground and insulation would be poking out. It was pretty crazy to be honest

[@gyromurphy]

@@susanlansdell863 oh. Hahahaha I totally missed the joke. Eh ..it's early yet and I'm still waking up.

[@jaceandjace1171]

Spent a couple hours here last year. Didn’t get to see any steam coming up, the graffiti highway was cool. But pretty much just some trails and a few beat up roads. We drove through it without even realizing it, and stopped on the way home when we realized where we were.

[@fastinradfordable]

I regret not visiting when I was back East. But at least I wasn’t swallowed into hell-silent hill

[@off_mah_lawn2074]

Great hearing the early history of the town! Something overlooked in other videos

[@Mamorufumio]

can't wait for the boys at 'well theres your problem' to touch on this subject

[@prjndigo]

you 33.3% sexist 33.3% shit...

[@crusinscamp]

I enjoyed your video. It caused me to check (verify) the type of coal under Centralia; anthracite or hard coal. There's a lot of anthracite coal in upstate Pennsylvania, in it's day it was the high value and clean coal that drove strong economies in the northern part of the state.

[@Paxonex]

I feel like i've learned more history from you, then i ever did from school

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@PaulybiGGballZ0820]

Great video..such an eerie fascinating town that used to be.

[@BrettonFerguson]

"Covered with dirt to deter visitors during the covid pandemic." Yeah because you are going to catch COVID from a town with no residents. Walmart is still open though.

[@GrayAndGrey]

No, you'd catch it from all the idiots visiting for their instagram photos and other shenanigans. And there are a handful of people that are still living around the area.

[@onometre]

I'm sure it'll be dug back up by randos

[@tay-ai5397]

what a scam.

[@jakegrube9477]

*laughs while doing donuts on it with an ATV*

[@TM-dh2xb]

Heh, when you know who our governor and health secretary are, it makes total sense.

[@244thMeekrob]

Best video for Thanksgiving leftovers. Definitely a favorite for a leanback!

[@burningchrome70]

"World's largest dumpster fire🔥."

[@wknight8111]

I drove through Centralia this summer, it's a really creepy place because there are roads and sidewalks but the few buildings left are all grown over and falling apart. It's a real mess. I can't for the life of me understand why some residents refuse to leave.

[@lcmiracle]

One of the few places on earth whose (remaining) inhabitants are fiercely protective of their legacy and highly aggressive towards outsiders.

[@LostScissors]

Don't eff with coal country folks, too many places to hide bodies in the strippins. LOL.

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

There's like three people left in Centralia... if you were talking 20 years ago, I'd agree completely. The ex-miner WW2 generation have mostly died.

[@lcmiracle]

@@Rutherford_Inchworm_III True, the known local population is low, but the second-gens that remain and many that moved out still maintain actively oppose outside influences. There's a centralia documentary released about 10 years ago with a bunch of commenters claiming to be children when they were reallocated. RandomCircusVideo released a video where he visited the painted road in Centralia just 6 month ago and there were strong displeasure in the comments. Apparently a local had installed cams along the road to monitor anyone trying to paint on it, before the road was covered up by dirty by the locals. The local population and its offsprings might have little means of keeping outsiders out, but they are not friendly.

[@bambam-cm8we]

I live in a small town in wales uk and the disused coal mine had an underground fire, this was also very hare to extinguish. Great video

[@ehoc5248]

wait the post office can just straight up be like 'thats a bad town name change it'??

[@tncorgi92]

It can only change the designation of the post office. The town could rename itself Toxic Hell if it wanted to, but your mailing address would still read Centralia.

[@catsoften]

Good luck mailing something to Centerville

[@jfan4reva]

Why not? Immigration agents at Ellis Island did that with PEOPLE's names. ("Your name is what? How do you spell that? We don't have those letters in our alphabet! Your American name is Smith. NEXT!") Centralia sounds cooler than Centerville any way!

[@KB4QAA]

Eh: Of course the PO can. They don't allow duplicate town names in the same state, or names that might be easily confused .This makes obvious sense in an era where new towns were being formed and growing, such as the 1800's.

[@mpeg2tom]

@@catsoften There are two other Centervilles in Pennsylvania: Centerville, Crawford County (1812) & Centerville, Washington County (1895). Plus there were three other Pennsylvania towns named Centerville that changed their name (Penns Creek, Kersey, Slippery Rock). The Post Office was probably like "come up with a more unique name!"

[@MtndewcodeDEAD]

I live in Centralia Washington, I was always told that we were originally named 'Centerville' due to our location being about midway between Portland and Seattle so thanks for mentioning that. I tend to forget there's another Centralia.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Well the other centralia is pretty much gone now anyways

[@MtndewcodeDEAD]

True, just pretty cool that it would have been a name for both (although that one was rejected) at one point, I had no clue

[@bjufps]

Been here a few times, shame they started ramping up security. Managed to smell the fire when walking over Grafitti Highway

[@dannydiehl9977]

I live only about an hour away from Centralia, so I went there with a few friends a couple years back. Crazy stuff.

[@bjufps]

@@dannydiehl9977 I’m a few hours away myself, I wish I would’ve went more to be honest. It’s such a shame they’ve covered the highway in dirt

[@RedShift5]

Why do they even bother with security for the site. Just put up a sign and those that ignore it well that's just natural selection.

[@bjufps]

@@RedShift5 I think that's mainly the situation there for the most part, I've just heard stories of officers stopping by more often to tell people to get out compared to before the pandemic.

[@jobdylan5782]

now you have cancer lol

[@sportfuryman]

I found out about this town back in the day after watching the movie nothing but trouble which featured a town with the same burning affliction....wierd but truly underrated movie

[@SearinoxNavras]

5:13 Seriously? You slapped a gauge onto the Gamma Scout and now it's a gas detector? XD

[@AliasUndercover]

Good video. Lots more detail than a lot of people have.

[@Iruparazzo]

In my restless dreams I remember that town

[@middle_management7582]

This is one of my favorite topics. Plan to visit some day

[@LeviathanRX]

3:35 He's heating up... 4:45 He's on fire! 8:38 *BOOM SHAKALAKA*

[@cardsjakes9999]

I live about an hour from this place, really cool video! Always wanted to visit but never got to it yet. There’s a cool place over there also called graffiti highway, where the roads for MILES are nothing but art and colorful roads. Now realizing you included this in your video lol my bad!

[@ionicwake]

I have to wonder how much this contributes to the " silent" carbon producers.

[@fastinradfordable]

There’s an underground burning mine in Ohio too

[@koghs]

@PoliceManHat bruh, no

[@neonwired4978]

probably a minute amount compared to everything else

[@lonewolf211]

@PoliceManHat ive been there in person. These days, smoke coming from the ground is still present but very minor. Its hard to find these days.

[@aestheticswim3397]

Silent hill

[@hdvictoryford5329]

This is a great place to see. Do some research before you get there. We went in August 2022. It is hard to imagine the town almost had 3K people at one time. And while the fire has moved on, there are 3 building left in town. A church up on the hill, the municipal building, and 1 home with 5 people. The remnants of the town are there, YOU have to find them, and you really need to look. I would suggest taking a picture of what the old town looked like, so you can follow the streets. And graffiti Highway is no more. They covered it with dirt. And it you want to walk where the highway was, keep in mind the police patrol the area and they will fine you.