The actual town is called Centralia apparently, and the rumor is that in the 60s the town attempted to burn some landfill garbage. Whatever they were up to, the fire managed to spread into a coal mine that runs beneath the town. They tried for 16 years to put the fires out, but nothing worked for long.
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By the 80s the ground had reached temperatures of 82C/180F in places, and the population of the down had dwindled down to 10 people due to the carbon monoxide, sulfur, smoke, etc spewing from vents in the ground
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By the 80s the ground had reached temperatures of 82C/180F in places, and the population of the down had dwindled down to 10 people due to the carbon monoxide, sulfur, smoke, etc spewing from vents in the ground