50 years of the Centralia mine fire

[Sealtite]

This might be a stupid question, but does snow lay on the ground there? I mean, with the mine fire and all...They said the ground is warm and sometimes hot in spots, right?

It would be cool to build a house on top of a small abandoned mine, and then light the mine on fire. You wouldn't have to pay for heat, and your driveway would always be clear. You could have cookouts and bbq's all winter long in short sleeves, while your neighbors cursed you as they shovel snow. I'd buy that for a dollar now, boy howdy I would. YEE HAW!

[MatildaLoo]

Snow is on the ground in most spots except for where the steam rises. In those spots there's a lot of ice, though, from the snow being steamed and then refreezing. The ground isn't really hot to the touch at all, unless you are right above a steam vent, and then it is a little bit warm.

It's basically the same premise as steam coming up from gates in the city. Snow still forms around them, just not on them, but ice forms from the thawing and refreezing.

As for your second statement, I really hope you are joking. Accidentally lighting a mine on fire was exactly what got Centralia in this bind in the first place, and bootleg mines in the area led to a lot of cave ins.

[MatildaLoo]

Oh no, now the people of Brooklyn know about Centralia. Now all the hipsters will want to live there.

Photo exhibit takes trip through burning town of Centralia • The Brooklyn Paper