WikipediaCentralia isnt a ghost town. Its a gateway to the underworld. Now that could be for any number of reasons, however the most prescient of which is probably the perpetually smouldering coal mine fire raging underneath the town that is expected to keep burning for the next 250 years like some sort of crappy Hanukkah miracle. The fire started in 1962 when residents unintentionally ignited a mineral vein of anthracite coal whilst using the mine as a landfill site but they only became aware of any significant effects of this by 1979. They lived on top of a mine fire for almost 20 years without anyone noticing that the floor had gotten a little hotter. High levels of poisonous gases were found billowing out from beneath the roads and Centralia was all but abandoned. Few buildings remain, although all the towns cemeteries are still intact; one of which has physical smoke rising out of it and was the main inspiration for Silent Hill. Some residents are expected to return later this year to unearth a time capsule that was buried in said cemetery. Seriously Centralia, could you not have buried it in a less creepy place? Was you town murder house already full? Your deserted nuclear reactor too busy? Still, according to a borough council meeting in 2011 it was reported that the towns highest energy bill came out at a meagre $92 and that they were, and I quote in the black. So there you go, every carbon monoxide cloud has a silver lining.
