The movie Silent Hill is based on a real town called Centralia, while there are differences between the two the fire is the same for both. Where is Centralia located?
The small town of Centralia Pennsylvania was abandoned in the 1980s because of the out of control coalmine fire that began burning in 1962 and remains out of control in late 2010. The experts say that with all the coal under the town that this fire could burn another decade or so. That would make it the longest burning fire in history.
If you go through the Anthracite coal region, you might have come across route 61. There is a detour on top of the hill and by taking this detour travelers are re-routed to the town of Ashland. However if you disregard the detour you will find the route 61 quickly ends. The route is over taken by nature but if you follow the road into town, you will come in the area, which once was the thriving town of Centralia.
In 1962, a fire was set in a pile of trash in a mine pit, and the fire set the coal on fire. Coal is long burning, and somehow it got into the main coalmine veins, which are rich in coal. For twenty years life in the town of Centralia carried on as normal, while the fire raged underground.
Carbon Monoxide levels around Centralia reached dangerous levels in the 1980s and when it was realized the fire could burn another decade the government decided it would be cheaper to move the people rather then fight the fire. For the safety of the residents, the government bought out the homes in the town and it was abandoned.
For years, the toxic fumes come up from many cracks in the ground resulting in dangerous air within Centralia. Sinkholes opened in the area swallowing roads, sidewalks, and homes. Uncontrollable fires ranged through the town from the underground coalmines. Trees, grass and weeds have replaced the traces of the town.
Visitors are discouraged from visiting the town for safety reasons, but each year more people visit the area, which once was known as Centralia, Pennsylvania. The underground fires have consumed the coal and other debris close to the surface. These fires do occasionally burn through this top layer, which in turn creates a fit pit. The fire pit is several hundred degrees and a person can die within minutes from the toxic fumes or with seconds by the fire.
The video game Silent Hill and the subsequent movie are based on the town Centralia, Pennsylvania. Before the game and movie came out the only people who knew the town were the nearby residents, but now days it’s become one of those places movie fans wish to visit. If you wish to travel to this area please read the first link in the resource section for personal safety when visiting.
Stay away from smoke coming from the ground and watch your step.
Resources:
http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm (tons of photographs of the real town, it’s an excellent resource on the real life Silent Hill, aka Centralia, Pennsylvania.)
http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/silenthill/ Official Sony Pictures Silent Hill movie website.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Hill_%28film%29 the Wikipedia page about the movie
