In 1962 a mine fire began under Centralia, PA. Today the town is gone.
Centralia, Pennsylvania has lost another resident, bringing its total population to under five people. In the fall of 2016, Kathi Womer moved out of the borough. By doing so, her home became the property...
Here is a truly fascinating look at Centralia, Pennsylvania and the mine fire circa 1982. This 30 minute PBS documentary tells the story of the fire, includes interviews with residents, and features footage of...
By 1984, the fate of Centralia, Pennsylvania was sealed. Through a combination of bureaucratic apathy and incompetence, the mine fire had burned continuously since 1962. It threatened the homes, health, and safety of the...
By 1977, the residents of Centralia Pennsylvania stood at a crossroads. For 15 years, a mine fire had uncontrollably burned at the edge of their town. Time was quickly running out. Many methods had...
By early 1983, the situation was dire in Centralia, Pennsylvania. Deadly gasses like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide spewed from numerous fissures in the ground. A few residents, like Todd Domboski and John Coddington,...
By most accounts, Carl Womer was the last official mayor of Centralia, Pennsylvania. Sadly he passed away on May 24, 2014 at the age of 90. While the title of mayor appears to have...
Until 1962, Centralia Pennsylvania was like many other anthracite coal region towns. While it had boomed during the heyday of coal mining in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the borough was now on...
Who owns Centralia PA? In short, the owner is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Before the 1980s, the borough of Centralia was mostly owned by private citizens and organizations. This made it much like any...
One of the memorable locations in Centralia Pennsylvania is an old, gnarled tree with a few signs on it. The tree can be seen on the right hand side while heading north along Route...
In 1997 the NPR radio show and podcast, This American Life, featured Centralia in a segment about the how fire impacts people. The program includes a number of good interviews with several of the...
