Centralia was a coal mining town in Pennsylvania, USA with a population of over 1,000 people. Despite the decline in coal production due to World War I and the stock market crash of 1929, Centralia remained a prosperous town.
Yet a fire at a landfill in May 1962 spread to the coal mines in the town of Centralia, turning it into a deadly inferno. As the fire spread, toxic smoke engulfed Centralia, forcing the government to allocate more than $42 million to buy the land and relocate the remaining residents of Centralia.
For nearly 60 years, the fire in the coal mine has been smoldering, leaving Centralia abandoned and looking like a ghost town in America. However, a few residents are determined to "stick around" here.
Many American tourists to Centralia are surprised to see that what was once a prosperous land has now become a desolate town with cracked roads, overgrown sidewalks, and a few small houses on both sides that have been confiscated by the US Postal Service, which revoked the ZIP code in 2002.
Currently, there are only 6 residents living in Centralia, making it the least populated town in Pennsylvania, USA. However, many people still believe that Centralia will be the place to start legends, supernatural phenomena or unbelievable stories. The horror movie Silent Hill (2006) was also inspired by this ghost town.
Others are more positive and believe that one day Centralia could become the bustling community it once was.
The Centralia coal mine fire could burn for at least another 100 years, officials say. But the city is still optimistic, with increasingly colorful graffiti on the streets – a particularly useful guide for first-time visitors to Centralia.
To many, the town may seem like a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but to others it is still home, their hometown. And the local government is still trying to exploit the potential to turn Centralia into an impressive tourist destination in the US, attracting many adventurous tourists.
