Centralia, USA

Among the abandoned cities there are many former industrial centres which ended up unnecessary after the complete ore exhaustion. The city of Centralia was founded in 1866 in Pennsylvania near large coal deposits. Until 1962 it remained a developing and forward-looking city. But everything changed after one odd mistake. Garbage has been regularly burned in coal mines leading to a serious fire. Spontaneous combustion of immense proportions has been expanded for decades. Coal has been slowly burning right underground threatening the industrial development and the lives of inhabitants.

In 1981 a local child almost died when the ground under his feet formed a huge crack. After this incident it was decided to remove the settlers from the city. For more than thirty years Centralia has been abandoned. According to scientists, the underground combustion will remain active at least 250 years yet. So it’s very dangerous to stay on the territory of the city since mines can collapse at any time.

Most buildings were destroyed after the evacuation, but some of the sights that attract tourists are managed to survive. St. Mary’s Church and four old cemeteries are among them. And now a small church with the sky-blue domes holds a service once a week. The tragic history of the city of Centralia inspires writers and artists to create their masterpieces. The history of the city is the basis of the creation of the popular computer games Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Next - Craco