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Sixty-two years later and the fire still burns.

Probably still nicer than Camden, Gary or East St Louis Illinois

Imagine being the schmuck who lit the fire and unknowingly killed that town...

I absolutely love this. I grew up very close to centralia, great documentary and great people. thank you for sharing this with us.

The government did what it’s good at, ignoring the issue early on while spending billions over seas. Then dragging their feet and fumbling along only to screw things up. Making matters worse. Running out of money here ,while sending millions to aid Russians. It makes me sick today. Too late and then a beautiful town that flourished is gone. This town’s residents really loved this place and I still hear it today from the kids that are now mid40s and up .They still revel in the pride of that community and it’s still in there hearts and memories . They will tell you emphatically , they’re from centralia ! And very proud of it!

Politic ruined everything like everything else in our lifes!

Centralia did not inspire sh just the movie

What a beautiful handmade tombstone.

Profoundly sad,

This is an incredible and desperately sad story!!! I feel so much for the young man that is narrating the story and showing us around his former town. May every blessing be his! The fact that he's still mowing the lawns, decorating his town for Christmas (even though the town is gone), shows that he continues to love his beautiful home. This narrator is a kind, deeply feeling and loyal "keeper" of Centralia!!! This man depicts the horrible loss that Centralia is...STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL YET SAD STORY!!! God bless Centralia and its people!!!

How could they allow the gas station to continue to operate? That should of been the first thing they shut down when the fire broke thru the barrier.

I'm here from X. I wonder how Centralia's condition now and I wish to find out how John Lokitis is doing these days...

Well, I watched, and took in this documentary to the end, and saw it was made in, 2007, 16 years ago. I suppose their are not now 11 households left. Hope someone wrapped their arms around John, and held him tight, if that was okay with him. Bless you. Don't live in the past, what once was, live now, and remember the past.

This government is sooooo dumb...you can send billions to the Ukraine and fight a fake war for 20 yrs still high ridiculous gas prices but you won't fix your own backyard....Its a disgusting shame. This is not being a good steward of the gift you stole in the first place .I'm totally disgusted and I don't trust this corrupt government at all what's so ever. I will never trust this government. Nothing good could come out of this! FIX THIS PROBLEM!! WTF?!

Good bloke

As Thucydides had his representation of Pericles say, a city isn't walls, it's people. The community of Centralia dissolved decades ago. Holding on to the land is a fetish. The loss of the town also isn't synonymous with nostalgia for the America of our youth. The people that remain have mixed all those things up. They could have all moved and maintained some of that former community in a new place.

Centralia was a Great Town before the Coal Mine Fire started and it was really sad for the Homies to lose their homes and it's pretty crazy that the fire 🔥 is still burning to this very day you know?

I dont think the government wanted to put the fire out there was over a billion dollers worth of coal under ground i bet once that town was emptied they open casted it greedy corrupt american goverment

I came to watch this documentary. Cause I wanted to know the real life and true history of the town Centralia . Honestly, I was shook this place is real.I'm a gamer and found out about this place . From the video game series " Silent Hill ". When I learned that game was derived from a real town .That literally has been burning underneath for years .I had to watch .They have so many things on this place .How people say it was cursed place and how it was cursed by priest cause of someone who died.I felt it was folklore and I wanted the real non fantasy truth .Thank you and I'm still shocked of this place.I'm sorry people lost their homes and history 😔.

I visited Centralia around 2005, it was amazing to see the cracked road with graffiti and smoke pouring out. I hear it’s not like that anymore.

Such a sad sad tragedy to happen to this beautiful place that existed not so long ago, such a shame

Real Silent Hill? Answer: No. This town has no similarities with the video game.

It’s a parade inside my city yeah

2023 Touching Documentary on Centralia. John Lokitis no longer lives there but. there are people still there.

I just keep thinking...that if only they simply would had just buried the trash in their landfill instead of burning it, this entire tragedy would have been averted, and Centralia would still be alive and well today.

Such a tragedy...what happened here to Centralia. I remember first hearing about this Centralia story, way back when I was a kid in the 80's...back when things really started going down hill for this town. It's now been 40 years even since the 80's I can't imagine there being anything left anymore, except maybe for some random deteriorated sidewalks along with the firehouse...but that's probably about it. This documentary really tells the story of this tragedy very well. Just hope that the fire doesn't keep spreading all the way up to the Scranton area? I don't think anyone will ever know for sure when it will end or how far it will go? It may go farther than anyone knows? Like that one man said, it should had been put out two weeks after it had started. But it just kept spreading and just got larger, until it was too late to do anything about. Crazy to realize there is still the same fire that was started all the way back in 1962. Such a terrible tragedy for all the people in that town.😪

This man John, renews my faith in mankind. Yes I agree that pictures and stories of the past remind me of Its a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. The house that John lives in is a time capsule itself. Can't remodel or freshen it up. His heart is stuck and to that I say. God Bless Him.

Wait they knew there were mines near by and still were lighting fires near it?

58:06 is that Joe Pera?

If the town no longer exists, when you pass do they allow to be buried in the cemetery

You get attached to the places you've spent many years of your youth living in. You're earliest memories are often your longest lasting. I still remember some of the places I lived in my earlier years, even though the homes have since been torn down in some cases. It seems that John had a very good loving family and parents with strong values and morals. Good parents will impact you for the rest of your life and those values will pass on from one generation to the next. I have family that live near Kutztown, PA, about 45 miles SE of Centralia. When I visit them, I'd like to see this site someday...

I’m from silent hill and i still see ghosts haunting me

You have to wonder if (implied or otherwise) the people who used to live there are angry or semi-honored that silent is loosely based on them

This is the story of plundering the environment until it is unsafe and then upping and leaving without any rehabilitation.

Then the big question: Who chowed the money from this misery? Believe me, that someone exists.

Anyone know the name of the song that plays throughout this documentary?

It's amazing how there's no evidence of the town left

Two main jobs of governments and corporations, destroy life and profit from it.

I wouldnt have sold my property to the government when this was their problem

Yeah the main fact is, you mess it up you fix it. Government didnt want to be adults and fix what they caused.

Why does the guy in the beginning marvel at the fire. That shit is horrible.

So sad.

He drove 312,000 miles to work and back home in 10 years while living in Centralia.

156 years later and I’m just now finding out about Centralia, Pennsylvania.

Long live Centralia 🇺🇸✝️

Does he got the ole chew in or what the fuk here lol

That two story house at 57:15 looks cool never think i seen that before

I love the misuc in this video it's so nice and calming <3

What year was this filmed? What year was John evicted? Google says 2008 and john had to leave in 2009. Such a kind man.

Sad they had to stop before almost putting it out because they ran out of money. Bureaucracy is gross.