I know. I can’t understand why they haven’t been able to put it out. How can it get air to keep burning? Is that entire region a gigantic, porous pile of coal?
I don’t know a lot about it, but I think it’s just too extensive and there’s lots of fuel. Underground, stuff *smolders* on and on.
Yes, that is a pretty accurate description: And even two openings in the porous (Swiss Cheese holed) underground allows enough air underground to keep the fires burning.
Centralia was an underground coal mining district - a really big one - so adjacent mines open up even more airways.
By the way, Lewis and Clark’s expedition through upstate ND and Montana reported several underground coal fires burning the bluffs overhead as they passed by in 1802-1803! That was one way they verified that coal was available near the surface out there in the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. (I understand, but have not confirmed) that several of their fires are still burning.