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I'd bet that there are quite a few places like this in the US. Check out Times Beach, MO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_beach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

I'd bet that there are quite a few places like this in the US. Check out Times Beach, MO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_beach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_beach

TomOfTTB 17y ago
That's certainly disturbing too but what baffles me about the Centralia thing is the fact that it was a fire and it was right underneath their feet. I mean, Coal burns at 2800 degrees Fahrenheit and that's what was burning underneath them FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. I mean think about that. Coal mines usually top out at about 500 feet below the surface. So let me put that in perspective. The Sears Tower has 110 stories and stands 1450 fit. So this would be like standing on the 36th floor while a 2800 degree fire burned on the first floor and not even knowing anything about it. It's crazy.
- brianmckenzie 17y ago
  I'm not trying to minimize what happened in Centralia. It does seem completely crazy. Dirt can absorb a LOT of heat. If you had to put out a fire, and you didn't have any water, you'd throw some dirt on it, right? We are all standing on a big ball of fire, anyway. Having worked next door to the Sears Tower for several years, I can tell you that's a lot of dirt, distributed over the entire area of the fires. The only thing that surprises me is that it took so long for the effects to be recognized. By comparison the carcinogens in Times Beach were on the surface and therefore easily measurable.
  - scscsc 17y ago
    >> Dirt can absorb a LOT of heat. If you had to put out a fire, and you didn't have any water, you'd throw some dirt on it, right? We are all standing on a big ball of fire, anyway. << The fire is extinguished by throwing dirt because of lack of oxygen, not because the dirt "absorbs" heat.
    - brianmckenzie 17y ago
      We're talking about different phenomena. < Oxygen = < Fire, but > dirt & minerals = < perception of underground fire.

I'd bet that there are quite a few places like this in the US. Check out Times Beach, MO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_beach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_beach

TomOfTTB 17y ago

That's certainly disturbing too but what baffles me about the Centralia thing is the fact that it was a fire and it was right underneath their feet. I mean, Coal burns at 2800 degrees Fahrenheit and that's what was burning underneath them FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. I mean think about that. Coal mines usually top out at about 500 feet below the surface. So let me put that in perspective. The Sears Tower has 110 stories and stands 1450 fit. So this would be like standing on the 36th floor while a 2800 degree fire burned on the first floor and not even knowing anything about it. It's crazy.

brianmckenzie 17y ago
I'm not trying to minimize what happened in Centralia. It does seem completely crazy. Dirt can absorb a LOT of heat. If you had to put out a fire, and you didn't have any water, you'd throw some dirt on it, right? We are all standing on a big ball of fire, anyway. Having worked next door to the Sears Tower for several years, I can tell you that's a lot of dirt, distributed over the entire area of the fires. The only thing that surprises me is that it took so long for the effects to be recognized. By comparison the carcinogens in Times Beach were on the surface and therefore easily measurable.
- scscsc 17y ago
  >> Dirt can absorb a LOT of heat. If you had to put out a fire, and you didn't have any water, you'd throw some dirt on it, right? We are all standing on a big ball of fire, anyway. << The fire is extinguished by throwing dirt because of lack of oxygen, not because the dirt "absorbs" heat.
  - brianmckenzie 17y ago
    We're talking about different phenomena. < Oxygen = < Fire, but > dirt & minerals = < perception of underground fire.