A desolate eerie town in northeastern Pennsylvania has been on fire for over 60 years.

Established in 1866, Centralia is now a deserted town, having once thrived as a bustling coal mining community with 2,800 residents, two theaters, various hotels, saloons, and 14 active mines.

But a horror was developing underneath residents’ feet – a coal mine fire was brewing that would soon ravage the entire town. 

The inferno erupted in 1962, hundreds of feet underground, stretching for about 3,700 acres. 

It spread rapidly through the labyrinth of abandoned mines fueled by the abundant supply of natural coal in Columbia County. 

The blaze was unable to be extinguished and flames crept through an unsealed opening. Smoke can still be seen rising from vents today. 

Popular travel influencer Josh Young, who boasts over four million subscribers on his YouTube channel Exploring with Josh, gave his audience a glimpse into the eerie town and shared his experiences with the Daily Mail.

‘When you arrive in Centralia without prior knowledge of its past, you can immediately sense something is not right,’ he mentioned to the Daily Mail, ‘as if something terrible happened here.’

Today Centralia is a ghost town with boarded up homes

A fire broke out in 1962, hundreds of feet underground, forcing residents to flee. Smoke still rises from the highway today

An aerial view of the ghost town surrounded by beautiful scenery is seen above  

Founded in 1866 in Centralia, Pennsylvania, was known for its coal mines

‘It’s something out of a horror movie but yet peaceful at the same time.’ 

Reflecting on the barren plots that used to form a vibrant neighborhood, Young commented: ‘Occasionally, you’ll notice new smoke emerging from various spots, depending on the condition of the tunnels below.’

Discussing the natural vents and sinkholes from which smoke still rises, he explained: ‘[It’s] extremely hot and can fog up your camera lens if you try to record it.’

The smoke remains a major attraction for visitors, though it poses a serious risk. Active vents release dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, which can lead to headaches, and prolonged exposure may be fatal.

The exact date the fire started remains unknown, but it was estimated to have begun on May 27, 1962, when the town was conducting its yearly controlled-burn of the local landfill before Memorial Day weekend.

The town had 1,000 residents in the 1960s but now it’s believed fewer than five people live there after the government condemned Centralia and claimed all the real-estate through eminent domain. 

It even revoked the town’s zip code, 17927, and today it shares one with the nearby town of Ashland. 

But despite the government spending $42 million buying residents’ homes and offering relocation packages, a handful of people refused to leave. 

Carbon dioxide gas, heat and steam from the underground fire has caused serious pollution and health dangers

Lamar Mervine (pictured) was the former mayor of Centralia 

There are various ‘natural vents’ all over Centralia, which remains a popular tourist attraction. Young (pictured) stuck his hand over the vent and felt the heat, he even saw smoke occasionally rising from the hole

Smoke, caused by an underground coal fire, rises on a hill overlooking Centralia

In 2013, after filing a federal lawsuit and a decades-long battle with the government, they were eventually allowed to stay. 

The settlement gave the residents ownership of their properties until they died as well as a $349,500 payout.

‘Everything is pretty much gone,’ Young told the Daily Mail. ‘Last year there was an empty house and I think that got demolished.

‘The streets are empty with just roads that are cracked.

‘There’s always old locals from towns over that come back and visit, some of them take their motorbikes around there.’

He believes that the church on top of the hill is still active. Daily Mail reached out to the church.

Young said: ‘It’s a beautiful church and it brings that eeriness and freakiness because it looks over the entire Centralia town.’

George Kashouh, another avid explorer, agreed with Young that the town gives off a spooky vibe.

The church in Centralia on top of the hill is believed to still be active

A before and after picture taken in 1983 (left) and 2000 (right) shows the drastic changes done to Centralia’s main street, Locust Avenue that was reclaimed by the government through imminent domain

A wide angled view of a graffiti covered abandoned highway in Centralia, Pennsylvania, before it was demolished and covered with dirt

A dump truck unloads a pile of dirt onto the ‘Graffiti Highway’ in an effort to stop people visiting

Kashouh told Daily Mail: ‘I went with three friends as part of a road trip, and we ended up stopping in Centralia at midnight after spending the day elsewhere. The whole place looked abandoned, with empty roads covered in graffiti.

‘We weren’t even sure if we were allowed to be there, and just minutes after driving in, air raid sirens suddenly started blaring. 

‘At first we thought it was because we’d trespassed and were about to get arrested, but they kept going for nearly half an hour.

‘We even saw firetrucks pulled over with crews outside, but nobody stopped us. It was one of the most surreal nights I’ve ever had.’

Young compared Centralia to Silent Hill, a horror media franchise centered on a series of video games and movies.

There are four main video games that are classified in the psychological horror genre. It is set in the fictional town of Silent Hill that is a quiet town haunted by the memories of a tragic house fire.

A character named Alessa Gillespie ‘died’ and still haunts the town seven years later.

A lot of Silent Hill fans believe the fictional town shares similarities to Centralia, both having a dark, traumatic past involving a fire. 

Toxic sinkholes started to eventually appear throughout the town, allowing for carbon monoxide and other gases to fill the resident’s homes. Picture: 1981

The once bustling town of Centralia, now desolation plagues it as fewer than five people still live in there

Young traveled back to the Graffiti Highway after it was covered over in dirt, he was able to find a remaining sliver of the highway that still has smudged colorful art engrained against the concrete

However creator Keiichiro Toyama has stated it is not inspired by Centralia.

‘I’m a huge fan of Silent Hill which doesn’t necessarily correlate, it just has the same kind of vibe and history,’ Young said.

One of the biggest draws for dark tourists previously was the Graffiti Highway – a 0.74-mile long abandoned stretch of Route 61 in the town covered in art. 

The roadway was permanently closed in 1993 when it became too expensive to repair and tag artists started to spray over the cracks.

But the area became overrun with visitors during the Covid-19 pandemic and dirt was poured over it to deter tourists.

Young, who last visited the town in October 2024, loves to explore abandoned houses, ‘haunted neighborhoods’ and uncover history in creepy places. 

Most Centralia visitors say the same – it’s eerily peaceful. The deserted landscape provides a sense of nostalgia and melancholy.

Young concluded: ‘I think it’s a good place to kind of just walk and relax, and forget about the life around you.’