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The Gate to Hell

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:47 pm
by Isabella

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:29 pm
by HuManBing
Yes, there are a number of natural fuel deposits that have been set alight and have taken longer than expected to burn out.

Edit: At Baijigou, a fire started in a coal seam that dates back to the last Qing dynasty (overthrown in 1911). As of 2002 it was still burning.

Link to a Daily Telegraph article.

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:01 pm
by Rotipher of the FoS
Huh. I actually live about forty miles from the infamous coal-seam fire beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania. It's been burning for almost 50 years now, and the once-thriving town is down to about nine hold-out residents. :|

It's not as visually-impressive as the one from the link, although I have seen pics of some rather alarming sinkholes there.