Here is another weblink of interest re: Centralia PA ...
If you scroll down, you can see some pictures from the local cemetery showing some of the tombs and gravestones buckling (as if there are sinkholes developing beneath them?)
I don’t know if this is just from neglect, but it seems plausible that the mines could be underneath areas of the cemetery causing the depressions and sinking of the gravesites.
Yikes, the dead will think they’ve gone to the bad place.
Back in the day... this whole area was coal mining. A small town nearby is called Girardville (also known as “gun-town” during the day). It was where the Molly Maguires had their issues with the coal mine owners. Hollywood made a movie about it... somewhat accurate but leaves out a lot. Anyway, many of the towns were built literally above the mines and it is not uncommon to be driving around and see a sunken type house. Growing up in the suburbs of D.C., that entire area was fascinating to me as a kid. Where else could you find coal lying around EVERYWHERE. It literally pushes through the soil. Pretty cool stuff. I hope one day you can make a trip and see it!
Old graveyards require maintenance, I’ve got three, one active since Reconstruction and two older and inactive. The graves themselves settle, patricularly if there’s no vault. Headstones get tilted due to moisture and drought, plus the freeze thaw cycle works them loose. I’ve accidentally put my foot up to the knee in an old sunken grave before, this one was back in the woods and the road had passed it by, many many decades ago. We’ve got it shaped up now, but it’s not easy to get back in there.
So, I doubt the coal seam fire caused this. It’s simple neglect. Graveyards go down without attention just like everything manmade does.
As an old cemetery hunter, my take is that this was vandalism and has nothing to do with the fire. Note that there's plenty of snow on the ground.