Abandoned - Centralia

[@K4R3N]

"Let's just burn this trash, what's the worst that could happen?" -Jimmy M., Former Centralia Waste Commissioner 1962

[@TheTrainFan9]

Clearly he got advice on what to do with trash from Charlie Kelly. "Well I could put the trash into a landfill where it's going to stay for millions of years, or I could burn it up, get a nice smokey smell in here and let that smoke go into the sky where it turns into stars."

[@s0ul_shr1v3n]

That quote is what every idiotic man says that doesn’t know what they’re doing, & doesn’t put much thought into it

[@countmargarine5984]

“Little did he know”

[@slyguythreeonetwonine3172]

Right! Let's ridicule a man for his inability to see the future!

[@skydive7054]

@@countmargarine5984 Nobody: Thomas and Friends: *"Luckily, no one was hurt"*

[@doxielain2231]

A friend of mine is one of the last kids born in Centralia. I call him a unicorn.

[@silverdays2909]

He sounds like he will defect the darkside

[@Brooke52528]

Am I being thick here? Unicorn?🦄

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

@@Brooke52528 Unicorn is just the newest way to say "a special snowflake". Depending on the context, it can mean different things to different groups. For instance, I'm bisexual and in my groups we have a term called "Unicorn Hunters" which usually refers to a straight (cis) couple looking for a bisexual person, often woman (cis or trans) to coerce/convince into having a threesome with them (or to have sex with the wife while the husband watches) because of the erroneous assumption that all bisexuals are also polyamorous. It's usually done because the relationship between the straight couple is experiencing some turmoil (often because one party is being unfaithful), and they think opening up the partnership to a third person will "help" it.

[@hecubus311]

Wow

[@tyrstone3539]

Frankie Flannery facts. Like, nobody gives a shit

[@Acemans]

I've been to Centralia, there's like 2 houses left and hundreds of people just walking laps and spray painting and riding ATVs.

[@cameron5447]

You know it pa clapped

"hundreds of people just walking laps and spray painting and riding ATVs." That's just rural PA as a whole tho lol.

[@Acemans]

@ I'm from the city so i mostly just see spray paint, not much the other things.

[@Jessica-by2sh]

@ yep lol

[@naomijackson5501]

Willz __ except these people are from other states/countries.

[@mrnorthwestohiodude7758]

Fun Fact about Centralia that a lot of Documentaries miss. They do still have an active fire department. 5 or 6 Volunteer Firefighters living in Neighboring towns still work out of Centralia's Borough Hall building with one 1980s fire engine, and the hard headed volunteers vow to continue operating the fire company till the last resident either leaves or passes away. One creepy part to add is that the Fire Dept still uses an outdoor siren to alert volunteers and that sounds very much like an air raid siren, giving centralia the silent hill vibe.

[@nastynate8231]

My neighbors had an electrician doing work on their house and the guy used a firetruck as his ladder truck, centralia snorkel 1 fire truck was the fire truck, he bought it when they didn't need it anymore

[@mrnorthwestohiodude7758]

@@nastynate8231 I wasn't aware Centralia, PA ever had a Snorkel Truck. You sure you arent mistaken with Centralia, Illinois?

[@nastynate8231]

@@mrnorthwestohiodude7758 it was for sure pennsylvania and it said snorkel 1 I don't know what a snorkel truck is but that's what it said

[@donnamorgan2522]

Air Raid siren was used for Fire Alarm when I was growing up in an Army Camp housing area,in New Zealand. You could hear that thing in the nearest Town,some 20 miles away

[@donnadreyer4516]

Prove it! This entire Town has been posted NO trespassing.

[@Isaac-gh5ku]

I was wondering if a satellite can take picture of Centralia and then switch the image to infrared, to see how hot Centralia is now from underground.

[@DadBodDrumming]

This is probably one of the smartest comments here.

[@burtbrooks7731]

I would like to see that for sure👍 that’s a good idea

[@harley7836]

@@nathanschannal2126 the original post says “underground” not “the ground” the fire is burning deep underneath the whole place, doesn’t mean the actual ground itself has to be warm/hot! Did you not watch or listen to the video? 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

[@danielsummey4144]

Not even a satellite, just a plane with an infrared camera. It could be done, but unless coal is burning super close to the surface I doubt you’d see anything.

[@Robert08010]

To those saying the ground is not hot, that is incorrect. There are areas where it is a good bid warmer that other areas so it may not be "melt-your-nikes" hot but it is measurable and probably could be photographed from above via IR. It would probably be best to take such a photo late and night after the ground has cooled from daytime sunlight exposure. Then the areas where an underground fire is venting should be much higher contrast.

[@braysfinds7479]

The Reason there is almost no houses around Centralia anymore, is because the government granted local fire departments permission to set houses on fire as controlled blazes. They would then douse the fire for practice. Edit: What is going on in the comments?

[@hyhoops1080]

@Brayson Steeber source? Cuz I’m pretty sure they just demolished them

[@braysfinds7479]

Was featured in a book called Weird U.S. published in 2005. It has the stories of multiple people that lived and worked there. I have a copy of it and I there was an entire section on the town.

[@braysfinds7479]

But yes you are correct some were demolished, and some were burned.

[@JustWowNick]

I mean, it’s not exactly wasteful if you get something like firefighting practice out if it tbh.

[@Kalvinjj]

@Bill Williams they sure did need practice in putting a fire down tho, which is what it's all about.

[@codydonton4405]

I live about 20 minutes outside of Centralia and I gotta say, it’s pretty sad to drive through there sometimes just knowing what used to be there. You can’t go to a popular theme park, Knobles, without passing through and you always see the Church on the top of the mountain

[@pastryparty]

I swear I'm actually wearing my Knoebels the impulse shirt at the time I'm reading this!!

[@alex0589]

Hope you live upwind...

[@codydonton4405]

Alex closer to pottsville

[@Coolsomeone234]

Do you like Phoenix or twister better?

[@dyln4539]

Yooooo knoebels

[@GoddessofWisdom]

I’m from rural/suburban Pennsylvania and we learn about this as part of our state history curriculum lol Edit: Unfortunately, as a PA resident I regret to inform everyone that in the spring they covered the graffiti highway (the main draw of Centralia) with dirt and there’s not much to see there anymore :(

[@iamReddington]

@Goddess of Wisdom You're very beautiful.

[@TimmayZ24]

I live about 90 minutes away from this town. Been there plenty of times

[@vincem3748]

Grew up in Bucks County, PA and never clicked on a video so fast lol

[@GoddessofWisdom]

Kelpie Birds I’ve never been there, but almost all of my friends have. Some kids even take their senior year informal school pics there lol

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

@@iamReddington Swing and a miss.

[@badbirdkc]

Back when the History Chanel had the show Modern Marvels, they did a series called "Engineering Disasters" - and one episode featured Centralia. It was one of the most genuinely creepy things I've ever seen.

[@lilwyvern4]

Correction: Back when the history channel had history.

[@flipsidelimited6560]

That’s nothing compared to the burn pit near Darvaza, Turkmenistan. It’s also know as the gates to hell and has been burning since 1971.

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@@lilwyvern4 What? You don't want to watch shows about how aliens from an alternate reality where the earth is flat killed Adolf Hitler and kidnapped Elvis Presley?

[@lilwyvern4]

@@JohnSmith-mk5jt Sure I do, just not on a channel ostensibly devoted to history. Now, if it were a dumb sci-fi B-movie with that premise, I'd watch the hell out of it and laugh my ass off.

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@@lilwyvern4 I understand. I was joking, anyways. That'd be a good premise for a sci-fi comedy like Land of the Lost, but on a channel that literally calls itself "History Channel" it sounds like a stupid idea.

[@washboy154]

An update on Graffiti Highway: Due to the covid-19 outbreak and people not obeying the stay at home orders, it will be covered by dirt and trees will be planted on it.

[@kither04]

WashBoy First off the highway was going to be mines since their is a very rich anthracite vein under it. The mining company was planning on digging it up this summer. After video of the guy almost flipping his side by side went viral they decided to much of a liability and decided to pile over the highway earlier then they planned.

[@washboy154]

kither04 do you have a source on that? I can’t find any info about that. Here’s one of my sources on my OP: www.cnn.com/travel/article/graffiti-highway-closing-trnd/index.html

[@goatcow38]

kither04 ya and people not obeying the coronavirus rules didn’t help either

[@washboy154]

Goatcow38 I don’t think his post was accurate. I live quite close to Graffiti Highway and never heard anything about mines lol

[@gimmi3thatmon3ybich15]

It's true. Google it.

[@savannahmiscik2160]

My great-grandmother was from Centralia. Thank you for doing a video on it!

[@Prof_Jeff]

As a native of Northeast PA, and being of a certain age, I grew up with this being in the news. I even passed through Centralia a few times in the '80s as a "shortcut" from Bloomsburg to I-81 at Frackville. Also, I'm rather sure I went to college with a few people from Centralia. The story still fascinates me; I try to watch every documentary (segment or whole) that airs on television (often on Science Channel, History Channel, or Discovery Channel), as well explorer videos such as this. Thanks for posting this, Jake! 👍

[@robertfolkner9253]

The kid who fell into the subsidence was a guy named Todd Domboski. Last I heard he still gives interviews about the disaster.

[@Intrafacial86]

My brain read his last name as “Dumbasski” and now I don’t know how to feel about that.

[@kimberlytaylor6954]

@@Intrafacial86 i thought it said Donald trump idk why

[@ChaosAria]

I remember what the town used to look like. My late mother is from Ashland which is just outside of Centralia. I also have a cousin who was born and raised there. I was finally able to show my son the area and I was so sad to see it. Although the town is gone, it still lives in the hearts of many.

[@halo-sd5qe]

My ancestors come from Centralia. They were all coal miners in surrounding towns like Mount Carmel. I occasionally head out there with my family to visit old family members and visit my ancestors at the cemetery in Centralia. Thank you for doing this video, it really warms my heart to see the story spread.

[@trisi95]

The film is based on the game silent hill. This town inspired the game not this horrible movie. Edit: Correction: The Videogame isnt inspired by centralia only the movie is inspired by this town.

[@davidrenton]

Silent Hill the movie was ok, probably one of the best VG to movie adaptations.But then again i have a soft spot for Doom the movie :)

[@Allangulon]

@@davidrenton Don't worry, help is on the way.

[@harshbarj]

I actually enjoyed it. Silent Hill (along with Super Mario Bros.) was one of two game to film adaptations I actually liked. While neither really followed the game well, they at least paid homage to it. It was a situation that if you went into the film expecting a playthrough you were disappointed.

[@tanemahuta24]

Silent hill movie was a masterpiece compared to dragonball evolution

[@TheAlmightyGoiter]

The film is based on my ass. The town inspired my balls.

[@starpowerj]

I grew up 30 minutes outside of Scranton. Centralia is legendary in northeast Pennsylvania. Nice job, Jake. Your work speaks for itself.

[@avenge0818]

Holy crap, I’ve been obsessed with this place for ever. So glad you made a video on it!

[@gersonvazquez721]

You should do one on Bethlehem Steel, hell of a story on how that company went from one of the biggest steel companies in America to nothing.

[@JDsVarietyChannel]

I grew up in Johnstown PA. It was dismal. All the old timers ever talked about was how the city got screwed over.

[@randomisus8711]

And coatesville, the steel company here made a ton of beams for the twin towers, and a while after the company shut down like half of the factory, causing all of coatesville to become a ghetto

[@cardoor1715]

I live in Bethlehem 5 minutes from one of the steel mills my grandfather used to work there.

[@gersonvazquez721]

CarDoor._. I live up the hill on south side I have a perfect view of the whole plant

[@randomisus8711]

@@gersonvazquez721 that sounds awesome

[@mod4drvr]

I'm not sure where the 40 year estimation came from, a 2010 study estimated that at it's current rate it could continue to burn for over 250 years.

[@ej2659]

Same, that fire isn't going out for many generations.

[@punker4Real]

honestly they should try and put it out... they should have massive water pipes delivering water one less thing contributing to climate change

[@KLX300RMIKE]

@merchandise 7X The fire pulls oxygen out of the ground.

[@marcboulware6242]

Anthracite Coal can burn for up to 1000 years. This is what is under Centralia so it will be burning for quite some time.

[@EvilNeonETC]

@@punker4Real It's a combination of material and chemical fire. water ain't gonna put that out.

[@MrTimdtoolman1]

That is a fascinating tale, wow. My grandmother lived in the country and When I was a little kid (I'm 58 yrs. old now) my dad and grandmother and other family members would set the pastures on fire to clear all of the vegetation for the next season I suppose but this video reminded me of that. Great job on the video.

[@AlexBabbage]

Controlled burns are still a very common and necessary practice.

[@astromotive6047]

*"Jake uploads Abandoned Episode on a town that seemingly disappeared"* Me: How about a visit to Times Beach next?

[@porschedude7687]

Both are very similar stories, so I dont see why he wouldn't make a episode on Times Beach.

[@astromotive6047]

@@porschedude7687Just exchange the Underground Fire for Dioxin coated Soil.

[@ryanmassey1441]

Ive been. Its now just a bike trail.

[@robertoXCX]

Austin McConnell did a pretty good video on Time's Beach.

[@agentM1991]

Or Love Canal. I heard of both on "Engineering Disasters" on History Channel.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

That’s so fascinating, it always hurts my soul hearing about this stuff, knowing such a useful resource is just burning away and there’s basically nothing we can do to stop it.

[@themoviedealers]

Coal isn't useful anymore, all remaining coal fired power plants will be replaced by wind or solar within 20 years. (Okay, just checked ...only most of them, not all of them. At least 50% are scheduled to close in the next ten years.)

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

@@themoviedealers You’re right about everything except the 50% which I’m not sure about. Still though, I hate to see it get wasted.

[@sirdavos9319]

I hope we never have to use coal again in the near future, but it's better to have it and not need it then burn it all and set fire to a whole town. I know this isn't a hot take, but it's just a big waste, and I feel bad for that (former) town 😔

[@pocketmarcy6990]

As a Pennsylvanian, I get really excited whenever people mention the weirder parts of my state on the internet

[@cjsebes]

Not a bad quick overview of Centralia. If you want a more detailed documentary, look for "The Town that Was" by Chris Perkel or "Centralia: Pennsylvania's Lost Town" by Joe Sapienza. And the graffiti did not start getting laid down on that closed section of Route 61 until the early 2000s. It wasn't bypassed until 1993 so there wouldn't be graffiti there from the 70s and 80s. My grandparents lived close to that the area and I used to frequent Centralia. I have photos of that closed section with nothing but blacktop. It's sad to see what it turned into. People need to just leave shit alone.

[@tjdarkrage6693]

Unfortunately, abandoned things tend to attract graffiti. Though, the road looks more like sidewalk chalk drawings - somewhat artistic, as opposed to just defacing with gang tags.

[@SumnerSaLT]

Any way you can share those photos?

[@823studios]

Always recommending BSF to my family and friends, and this video is just another great example of the craftsmanship that you put in. Excellent work as always!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@timbit72]

I'm sure I've seen every video and documentary on Centralia that there is because I find the back story fascinating. This production is by far the most informative, accurate and well presented. A must watch for all Centralia & abandoned aficionados

[@JustSheilz]

I was obsessed with Centralia back in the 80s.

[@JustSheilz]

merchandise 7X real life - my family

[@englishrose6171]

I've seen many videos on this subject but this one is by far the most informative and well out together

[@herbbluntman2287]

As a Washingtonian, when I saw the title of this video I thought it was about Centralia Wa. It's a fascinating story of this Pennsylvania town. Thanks.

[@holoholopainen1627]

What is special about Centralia Wa ?

[@ironwoodnf]

@@holoholopainen1627 you can buy weed there 😎

[@holoholopainen1627]

@@ironwoodnf Is There more Up in Smoke - than at Cenralia Pa ! Its been burning for years !

[@GrapplerS10]

I believe the movie “Nothing But Trouble” is taken inspiration from the town. As a plot device in the story involves a burning mine fire and it’s set in the New York/ New Jersey area.

[@piratetv1]

I think you're right,

[@Fopeano]

Thank you, so obvious to those who have seen it. (many times for me)

[@baron_von_brunk]

Pennsylvanian here: I was visiting Central PA for Christmas vacation, and on my back home to Lancaster I decided to check out the remains of Centralia. Quite frankly, because the area is so desolate and abandoned that you couldn't even tell it was once a small city. When driving from Mount Carmel, you enter a long road with lots of trees and empty streets, which were once the main streets of the former Centralia. I parked along one of the roads and wandered around; it's really hard to tell that it was once a thriving city, but if you look around some more you can kind of get the idea of what it was. Some of the sidewalks are still there, albeit destroyed and overgrown with vegetation. I also saw a few random inactive fire hydrants. scattered about. The graffiti road is blocked off and covered with dirt. I wandered around the areas near the graveyards and saw the ventilation pipes, but didn't see any smoke coming up from the grounds anywhere. The traffic on Locust Street [the main central road] was busy, but only because it serves as a major street to connect to nearby towns. Otherwise there were no other people, sans for another random tourist who showed up and drove off when I was taking pictures. I saw two houses remaining: that single green row home on the west, and that northeast row home with the five brick buttresses on the side. The place is so small and barren that you could drive right through it and not even realize what it is, as there are no signs nor markers anywhere.

[@jenniferwagner6478]

Sad.

[@majstealth]

"We mined coal, we burned coal, the coal burned us."

[@MrFusion]

I've driven through Centralia on my way to Knoebels plenty of times, and it's pretty eerie. I've never seen the picture of the main street before, so remembering driving through there where there's nothing on either side of the road is pretty chilling. If I remember correctly, there's still sidewalks there, which is also pretty spooky.

[@Peakaboo304]

Thank you for making this video! I commented a year or so ago about how you should discuss Centralia and it’s so awesome to finally see it! 💕

[@dondavis5633]

ANOTHER excellent video, Jake! I've been fascinated by Centralia for years, and you did the old girl justice...

[@gantmj]

The location for the 1991 movie "Nothing but Trouble" was based on Centralia.

[@Fopeano]

Thank you, so obvious to those who have seen it. (many times for me)

[@Limeyunes]

Can’t wait to watch this you never fail to impress me

[@7heRedBaron]

I’ve only got five more minutes of KZbin commercials before it starts. Can hardly wait!

[@musclerussell8109]

LimeYunes the only thing he fails to do is actually go there. Remember you need to get up off that couch. Put away the soda. Cause you never know what’s right in your back yard lol.

[@musclerussell8109]

Remember boys pay this man he took lots of nice pictures. For you guys. Lol I can tell the true explorers from the fake booky ones with lots of literature and google at there finger tips. You send a bad example this video cost you nothing to make. You should be ashamed of yourself. Greed kills one true passion. Remember that

[@HyperboreanJihad]

Literal mountain of fuel on fire “Not great not terrible I’ve seen worse”

[@wetzel1628]

Dyatlov

[@No2hISwear]

Comrade

[@odalysmendez3376]

This is amazing! Thank you for such an incredible job! Centralia is one of my favorite abandoned spots.

[@Tyrann13]

Fantastic video. Very well done and engaging. Looking forward to what comes next from your channel.

[@zooper6453]

How did you post this two days ago this came out today

[@JustAnotherRailfan2026]

That’s what I’m thinking too

[@Tyrann13]

@@zooper6453 Posted early for Patreon supporters.

[@Tyrann13]

@@JustAnotherRailfan2026 Posted early for Patreon supporters.

[@SamSKJL]

This is truly the best channel on KZbin. Been watching you for years and can’t wait till your next video. Love you man keep it up.

[@MyCuteApple]

"This of course is the town of... Silent Hill."

[@toml9819]

yes of course. according to the video, first popularized in the 2006 horror film of the same name.

[@SirDominickVDB]

@@toml9819 but wasnt it a video game first or am i just being crazy now?

[@dyveira]

@@SirDominickVDB Yes. The game predates the movie by nearly a decade.

[@SirDominickVDB]

@@dyveira oh yeah now i remember thanks miss

[@LancGuy13]

They actually filmed part of a movie in Centralia. A 1987 comedy called " Made in U.S.A". The opening scene shows the abandoned houses being bulldozed as the main characters are packing up and moving to California

[@razonpsu9361]

Great job Jake! I grew up near Centralia and have seen it it as the town it WAS as a child and now IS as an adult. I watch your channel regularly and was SHOCKED when I came across this one in your series. Thank you very much, it brings back memories!

[@jeffgrantMEDIA]

I'm from Scranton, and have been to and filmed Centralia a few times. The home you show at about the 6:45 mark is now gone. That was the old mayors home. I was in there before it was really trashed. Before it was demoed it was pretty much completely destroyed by vandals. And the church you show directly after, is am active church and is not in Centralia, it is in Aristes PA. A boarding township.

[@venomousnate7263]

The amount of research you do this series is amazing. Major respect. And I find this pretty interesting that this was the inspiration for Silent Hill.

[@dyveira]

It was the inspiration for the game, not the film. The film was loosely based on the first and second games.

[@venomousnate7263]

Synthia Vice I haven’t seen the film, played the second game. But I know this is the whole inspiration

[@Ghostvertigo]

It really is, except where he said Centralia inspired the movie silent hill, the movie is based on the game silent hill, which is sorta based on Centralia location wise

[@xcalibertrekker6693]

This has been ongoing for decades you have to be an idiot to not know of this. Besides this is not even his footage he us just commentating.

[@TheAlmightyGoiter]

No it didn't, go away

[@joshbostock4371]

I like that you’ve added personality to your commentary and also your own opinions on how the problem was handled! Great video Jake!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks so much Josh!

[@joshbostock4371]

Bright Sun Films No Problem!

[@christinestange4813]

The topic of Centralia never gets old 👍

[@CelticShadow75]

This is about 45 minutes from where I live and I go up here to do photo shoots all the time. Such an epic place to see, and once again, you did it justice! Thank you for that!

[@mks1870634]

Most people don't understand why you can't build here. This area is under Eminent Domain. The government will take what is left when the last of the home owners pass away. Graffiti Highway is being covered since it is privately owned due to safety concerns. This story is so depressing to hear. Great coverage on the video Jake. Keep up the good work.

[@jstyxx4110]

You never fail to impress with your content! Here’s to episode 50!

[@JustAnotherRailfan2026]

I like your channel logo😂

[@jstyxx4110]

PredatorsGamingPS4 lol

[@FireRescue80]

I'm from Allentown and we often times drive through Centralia. It's very eerie looking since there's no body there.

[@L_U-K_E]

Aww at the end u could of said when a town is quite literally burnt off a map

[@J0sh560Glick]

There’s still people living there

[@beholden_to_ducks]

Except that wouldn't accurate. The town didn't burn down. It was demolished.

[@strepidemic]

Its still on the map. A couple families and believe it or not the fire station there is still active and runs an average of 70 calls a year.

[@beholden_to_ducks]

@@strepidemic I'm betting that a healthy chunk of those runs are calls are mutual aid.

[@strepidemic]

@@beholden_to_ducks they are lol

[@chrisbrittain8104]

Hey it's only 30 miles from me. I was there as a kid in the 80's an 90's. When it was still a town.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Cool!

[@grimgamin2211]

YESSSSSSS I WAS WAITING FOR THIS EPISODE FOREEVVVEERRR, I ONLY LIVE LIKE 15 MILES FROM HERE

[@alienkreeper]

Good old Centralia. I live about a 5 minute drive from there and remember being able to drive the stretch of road that's now closed off.

[@joe-xk8nl]

You can still drive on the road. But maybe not for long...

[@judcrandall6762]

Old timer!

[@alienkreeper]

@@judcrandall6762 yes i am

[@judcrandall6762]

@@alienkreeper Welcome to the club. So am I.

[@joshuaayres8932]

Cancelled: Centralia. Great video as usual. The history of this is always fascinating to hear about.

[@carter7105]

I saw a documentary about this on a television documentary. Very interesting and very intriguing.

[@nfacebabii1721]

I heard “Scranton Pennsylvania” and instantly thought about The Office.

[@khairiisa7275]

Don't forget Home Alone. Where Catherine O'Hara is stuck at the airport.

[@Rossbrian1]

Scranton is like 1 hour or more away from here

[@captain0981]

ikr?

[@Welshieanthems]

Same

[@katichu]

same!

[@lrnbrgr884]

Doesn't matter if this story has been covered by others. I want to see how Jake reports it.

[@drtarak7673]

Graffiti Highway is being covered up by the land owners this week. Many people have been flocking to Centralia and the highway during this pandemic, even creating bonfires in cracks in the road. 🤦‍♀️ Thank you for this informative video. Part of my family lived in Centralia for generations.

[@StormBreaker_Chasing]

I'm a PA native, and have been to Centralia several times. The last time that I was there, like a year or two ago, the local fire department was still there and operating, I believe. Most of their apparatus looked pretty dated, but my guess is the only reason it's still there is to have someone monitor the fire.

[@megm2824]

Great video. I actually have visited Centralia and you do see some steam coming up during the fall months. Also, you can feel the heat coming up where there isn't any steam coming up. The church to my knowledge is still active today. When you visit, you do get the sense of eeriness. It is a shame of what happened to this town. To my knowledge, it is said to burn for a 1,000 years before the the fire goes out. Also, the fire went to neighboring town(s). I am not sure if those residents had to evacuate permanently or not. Very interesting story though.

[@meredithkav]

One of my favorite memories is my parents picking me up from college in Philadelphia and driving to Centralia. We rode our motorized scooters all around and explored the cool cracked roads, abandoned houses and steam vents. Then we went to Mays drive-in and ate so much food and ice cream and they took me back to school. It was so much fun and we still talk about what a good time it was.

[@dellahicks7231]

This is a great overview, however 'The Town That Was' is a must see for anyone interested about what life was like in Centralia. They interview John Lokitis that still lived in what was left of the town in 2007, he lovingly tended the cemetery, put up the old Christmas decorations on the street lights, and generally shares what his family's life was like. He has since moved I understand, I believe he moved to Harrisburg where he works as a civilian for the state police, with his wife (Or girlfriend) and child. It is heartbreaking to listen to his hope that the town could be resurrected.

[@lorrainebennett7528]

'The Town That Was' is one of the most moving documentaries I've ever seen...

[@ramiel8391]

I’m so glad you covered this topic. I’ve always thought Centralia was fascinating.

[@ryefry]

It's 2019 and the landfill 5 miles from my house "catches" fire about 3 times a year. It burns for 2-3 days before anyone is called to put it out.

[@-MaryPoppins-]

In the defense of the trash heap, it’s highly flammable and things like lighting or sparks from thrown away lighters or other similar paraphernalia can easily get and keep a fire going. That’s how a good bit of fires start in seemingly abandoned places. It probably takes 2-3 days to make sure it’s put out. I highly doubt anyone, no matter how lazy, would be willing to risk the publicity, backlash, public flogging, and legal ramifications of an entire landfill catching ablaze and exploding.

[@judcrandall6762]

@@-MaryPoppins- Sparks from thrown away lighters???

[@ZacSaleski]

I was literally just thinking the other day " whens the next BSF video?" lol loved it man solid stuff as always!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Every other Friday!

[@ZacSaleski]

Bright Sun Films not soon enough lol literally binged your videos 😂😂

[@AnarchoFeminist]

Hey Jake, I'm a museum curator and I love your channel. It's given me some great ideas for how to make some of our history exhibits more interesting. Also, being form PA I love you did an episode about our most famous town, forget Philly this place is cool. There are several abandoned towns and industrial sites you might be interested in. Can't wait to see what's next.

[@EveryDayTrucker]

Amazing content! You keep improving your methods and quality. While subtle at times, I notice! Thank you for this valuable, entertaining and most important educational information.

[@RottenRyebread]

I’ve visited Centralia. There’s kind of a warm tropical feel to it 🤣. No but seriously, the town is a sad story of how things can go horribly wrong. When we were there last, they had a classic car show. I guess it is an annual event. Seeing a bunch of beautiful classic cars roll through an abandoned town was quite bizarre.

[@EricCoop]

I like that you mentioned Robert Morris. He was the only Founding Father to sign all three documents: The Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. The only one besides Benjamin Franklin to sign the Declaration and Constitution.

[@GrowlyBear917]

8:38 Wooden sign on the side of the road that reads, "Borough of Centralia" with a bumper sticker stating "We Burn Coal". I saw that sign and photographed it in 1984, then it was replaced with a smaller metal sign. For many years I thought I had a rare image. Then imagine my surprise when I see it in this video! Oh well maybe not so rare any more. In 2017 I photographed many of the graffiti on the closed-off part of route 61. Some of those might not exist any more because of being painted over. And over... and over again.

[@maxnaz47]

We have an area here in NSW Australia called burning mountain because of this very phenomenon. One theory predicts that a fire started in a coal seam somewhere between 5,000-15,000 years ago because of a lightning strike and is still steadily burning away to this very day, releasing a steady stream of noxious gases.

[@Boteveccapriestess1]

A video on Love Canal, NY, a town similarly abandoned due to environmental disaster, would be amazing! Good work as always.

[@BamBamBigelow..]

Centralia is an abnormal tragedy. Fascinating none the less.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Definitely fascinating

[@BamBamBigelow..]

Bright Sun Films...Chapel Hill Mall (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.....near Ol’ Rolling Acres Mall) might soon be on your list. Give it a year or so.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

It's not the only one either, there are plenty of these coal fire towns Centralia is just the most famous

[@kilroywashere9343]

I love stories like this. Please do one on the Salton sea

[@tonys623]

I was there back in the early 2000's and I got a huge headache from the fumes coming out of the ground.

[@iancraig5471]

I was there yesterday. The graffiti highway has been completely covered by truckloads of fill dirt. There are no obvious signs of a current fire. The vent pipes are dead, and the lots where houses and buildings once were are grown over. To anyone just passing through, it would look like an oddly placed gridwork of streets with no buildings. The only odd thing was a brief smell of burning coal as we came down the hill into town.

[@TheZombiehunter24]

Nice video! Very interesting and Centralia has always been a neat subject to look into.

[@stran-air-jordan]

I live in Scranton PA and wondered how far away it was, as soon as I left the app to check he said the exact distance

[@bumpygarage4291]

I was wondering if Jake would do a video on good old Centralia. I live around 25 minutes west from the town so I’ve seen it quite often. It may not have much to see anymore but the history behind it is very rich. There’s still graffiti highway of course and some remnants of buildings but not much. Still a great place to visit. I remember going there as a kid and seeing smoke rise up out of the hills, now there’s barely any smoke. Is definitely sad to know a once flourishing town once stood in the place of such a desolate area.

[@qwedge]

Abandoned - Dad when he went to buy some milk

[@MattHaslamProductions]

lmfao too good lol

[@MrT571]

Accurate name. Bruh, goddamn!

[@Jayfive276]

Dur hur hur, it's the same joke I've seen a million times on other videos. Durr hurr hurr. You bunch of fucking mongs.

[@ivan3260]

Jayfive276 😂😂😂

[@Cat-zq6iy]

Hahaha dark

[@CaseysTrains]

As of June 2020, Graffiti Highway has been buried under 7 feet of dirt basically erasing it from existence. Trees were planted in an effort to block it's right-of-way as well.

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

The reason why they did that was because a bunch of people were dumping gratuitous amounts of garbage.

[@TheMM1215]

I visited what was left of Centralia about 10 years ago. Very interesting place.

[@jeffchoi]

You should do Love Canal in Niagara Falls, NY. It was a town built on top of a chemical dump site that had to be abandoned.

[@henrylappjr.3220]

Whenever I’m in an interview and I’m asked about business experience, I’ll tell them that my experience comes from Abandoned and Bankrupt

[@plaguex1]

I'm more in awe they demolished the buildings so quickly. That rarely happens

[@irenebrophy3284]

Awesome job Jake! My husband's family is from Elysburg, not far from here! Love your videos

[@markm-ci6rj]

I am so impressed with your videos and the research, so interesting. Seen lots of you tube videos on the town but only yours have got the detail, old clips and photos!

[@JowoHD]

this is mind boggling to me, a fire burning for 40+ years seems insane

[@BrightSunFilms]

I know right!

[@asonofodin201]

Yeah and hundreds more years to go before it burns out

[@jamesmarconi7502]

@Joshua Joestar I'm not Democrat or Republican but you figure somebody have to bring politics into it

[@idontcare6262]

@Joshua Joestar really more of a product of its time. Pennsylvania is littered with old mines from a time when your argument didn't apply, due to the fact that the Democrats were supportive of coal mining back then.Jimmy Carter was a friend of the coal industry. Coal miners belonged to unions, and were generally very left leaning until the Democrats turned their backs on coal in more recent times.

[@1pcfred]

@Joshua Joestar the coal is in the ground naturally. No politics put it there. Coal being fuel it is going to burn eventually. So it doesn't even matter how it caught fire. That coal up there is the best coal in the world too. We ought to burn every ounce of it responsibly. It is a great natural resource. Germany would give their eye teeth to get their hands on it. You should see the garbage they burn. They bulldoze towns just so they can strip mine the lowest quality coal on the planet. Brown coal or lignite.

[@mazaradie1119]

Was thinking about this the other day on my ride home from school before it was announced on Twitter

[@UOAPlays]

I recently went on a road trip through Pennsylvania, and one night we camped in Centralia. It's really a fascinating sight to see. The few people that live there are friendly. The graffiti highway is a really cool experience. EDIT: I was corrected about something. Please disregard the rest of the comment, as it is incorrect information. And it was not the inspiration for the Silent Hill movie. It was the inspiration for the Silent Hill games that first came out in 1999. The movie is just a crappy cash grab based on the games that flopped big time. No one that worked on that movie is clever enough to come up with anything on their own, lol.

[@Rilumai]

Centralia did NOT inspire the game. There is no coal mine fire in the game. Centralia was only used as inspiration for the coal mine fire in the movie. That's it. It has no connection to the game.

[@UOAPlays]

@@Rilumai Oh shiiiit. You just made me look it up, and you're totally right! I honestly never played the games myself, but one of my friends was obsessed with them, so I watched him play it quite a bit. He was the one that told me about the original being based on Centralia. Fuck, that's funny. I imagine he was just misinformed or he misread something a long time ago and that's what he chose to believe this whole time. Thanks, internet stranger, for clearing that up for me :)

[@Rilumai]

@@UOAPlays No problem! It seems to be quite a big misconception when it comes to Silent Hill.

[@sam-wu5zb]

If anyone's interested in learning more about Centralia, there's a good book on it called "The Day the Earth Caved In". it talks about how the fire started as well as how citizens in the community were divided on whether to remain in the small town or evacuate

[@thomasvickers4491]

Love that you made this vid. I watch your content a lot and go to Centralia often for photography! Good work!!

[@urbex...beyondtheentry2536]

Great video on the history of Centralia ✌🏻

[@PCFixer]

Loved this one; there seemed almost a chilling / horror aspect about it; it reminded me of an episode of the old Australian show, "The Extraordinary."

[@futuremiIf]

Ooh we getting close to Episode 50 👀 (also totally flipped today when you liked my tweet !!)

[@ninaalexandrazelenak2005]

I just went here yesterday for the first time. It is such a fascinating, eerie, and sad place, yet it felt very peaceful at the same time.

[@paulchristian1094]

I live in a house in Centralia. In Ontario, Canada. It is a former air force base. The base closed in 1966. There are about 300 houses.Love it.