Centralia, Pennsylvania, is a once-thriving mining community now largely abandoned and overtaken by nature. The town's underground coal fire has been burning since 1962, creating a hazardous environment and leading most residents to evacuate over the years. However, a handful of determined individuals have chosen to stay, vowing to hold onto their homes until their death despite the perilous conditions.

The history of Centralia dates back to its establishment in 1856, with its coal mines providing significant employment and prosperity for the local population. At its peak in 1890, the town was home to 2,761 residents and featured a vibrant community with churches, hotels, and businesses. The underground fire, which began with a landfill fire that ignited a coal seam, has resulted in subsidence and the release of toxic gases, prompting government intervention and the declaration of the area as unsafe, effectively pushing the community towards abandonment.

Today, Centralia is a ghost town, with remnants of its past visible amidst the overgrowth and a few remaining buildings. The steam rising from the ground serves as a haunting reminder of the inferno below. The remaining residents of Centralia, fiercely attached to their hometown, continue to live in a state that’s both nostalgic and precarious, embodying a unique intersection of nature’s reclamation and human tenacity in the face of calamity.