Here’s a neat piece of video history. It’s a news report about Centralia, Pennsylvania that first aired in 1983. The segment was produced by WNEP, an ABC affiliated television station out of Scranton, PA.
The piece begins with a quick introduction to the video and points out that it should not be confused with the recent refuse fire in Lackawanna County. It then describes the origins of the Centralia mine fire as garbage fire in 1962.
This is discussed over historical footage of the fire and is followed by an interview with a local resident. She describes walking to a picnic area with her kids and seeing the trees bleached white. The fire was burning in the Buck Mountain coal bed.
There are some great vintage photos of collieries, miners, and the steaming mine fire in Centralia PA. The narrator mentions that when firefighters couldn’t put out the fire, state engineers were brought in to assist.
The fire had a detrimental effect on the local mining industry. Carbon monoxide from the burning coal began seeping into nearby, active mines. These had to close, putting 140 miners out of work.
Over top of old photos, the reporter describes how water, fly ash, and trenches were all used in an attempt to stop the mine fire in Centralia Pennsylvania. However, none of these worked and the fire continued to burn.
There is an interview with Dan Flood. At the time, he was a local representative to the United States Congress. He indicates that when he realized it wasn’t just trash being burned, he handled the mine fire matter and took it quite seriously.
The news report includes some great footage of Todd Domboski and the steaming mine fire hole he fell into on Valentine’s Day, 1981. In the interview, a young Todd describes his terrifying experience.
The piece ends with a shot of Centralia, PA in 1983 and mentions the first wave of residents leaving. However, it does ultimately touch on the $42 million Centralia Mine Fire Acquisition Relocation Project. This began in late 1983, after the new report had already been broadcast.