Welcome to Centraila

Centraila,  a Coal mining town that used to be here.

Back in the 60’s, Centraila used to be a typical,  busy Coal mining town.  Streets were lined with residential homes,  bars,  businesses,  and people going about their business.  One day this all changed.

Centraila has a main vein of Anthracite Coal running under the town.  Enough Coal is here to last more than 200 yrs.  At sometime one of the residents dumped some trash at the local dumping area and then set it on fire.  In turn this fire worked it’s way into a open Coal seam,  and started the seam on fire.  The fire started burning under ground and under the town creating a problem for residents living here.  Slowly over time,  the smell and open cracks in the ground got into residential homes causing more and more people to get sick from the fumes.  The fire was moving under the town more and more.

Everything possible was done to put the fire out with water and other means,  but nothing could stop it.  The US Gov’t got involved and found it just to expensive to extinguish,  so they offered to buy the residential homes at a fair market price.  Most all the people took their offers and moved away.  Homes were torn down,  leaving empty spaces where someone used to live.

Now,  there is nothing left of the town,  with some exception.  There are only 2 homes here anymore.   The rest are all gone.  Places where homes used to be has been re-claimed by Nature.  The fire still burn’s to this day creating open cracks in the ground from the heat.  The area where Centraila used to be is hardly recognized.  You have to know what used to be here and remember a town that died from when Coal was King.