Short Stuff: Centralia Coal Fire

In this Short Stuff episode, Josh and Chuck explore the eerie abandoned town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, which has been slowly consumed by an underground coal seam fire that started in 1962 and still burns today, reaching temperatures over 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit. They dig into how coal seam fires spontaneously combust and spread through underground tunnels, why they're nearly impossible to extinguish, and the fascinating and frightening history of how this once-thriving mining community of 1,400 residents dwindled to fewer than ten stubborn holdouts who refused to leave. The episode reveals the government's desperate attempts to control the fire through various methods, including a dramatic incident in 1982 when an explosion shot a young boy fifty feet into the air, all while exploring why Centralia has become a real-life inspiration for the video game and movie Silent Hill.