An Abandoned Pennsylvania Town Has Been On Fire For 53 Years [View all]

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

The fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada reminded me of a part of American history that anyone with a concern for the environment should be aware of. When will we learn?

Centralia is a borough and a near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has dwindled from over 1,000 residents in 1981 to 10 in 2010 as a result of the coal mine fire that has been burning beneath the borough since 1962.

All real estate in the borough were claimed under eminent domain and therein condemned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1992 and Centralia's ZIP code was discontinued by the Postal Service in 2002. State and local officials reached an agreement with the remaining residents on October 29, 2013, allowing them to live out their lives there, after which the rights of their houses will be taken through eminent domain.

Please note:

For anyone with a doubt that Centralia is still on fire to this day, last fall I took a photographer to take photos of environmental damage in Pennsylvania as part of the anti-pipeline campaign in New York. Yes, the ground is still on fire.

There are many more articles on this topic, it's something we should all know about.

CFS



http://www.centraliapa.org/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2196

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-abandoned-pennsylvania-town-has-been-on-fire-for-53-years_us_55df6490e4b08dc09486d4a0