This is interesting:

Mega Geochemistry: Underground Fires that Burn For Decades

 

Bruce, your pics aren't working tonight for some reason.

 

I don't get it Joe, I click, it works for me. (?)

 

Okay, this one works now. I don't get it either. But I checked out the mass transit one through this link. Pretty neat.

 

That place in PA isnt to far from me. I have drove past it a couple of times.

 

I never knew they had fires like this.This is really interesting.

 

I've heard all about the centralia fire, but the "door to hell" thing is pretty weird. It's like a bunch of burning dirt.

 

That is... awesome.

 

Pretty much what I was thinking

 

If ya follow the Centralia fire posts far enough, you'll get to a scientific study on it, which leads to the comment that China has had a fire burning underground for better than 40 years ( I believe) and it puts out more pollution than all of the cars in the US combined. And only recently have the Chinese govment decided to see if they can do anything to stop it.

Now.. I'm headed back to youtube to finish watching videos of the Centralia thing. Sad story. Sad. ( Quick... someone jump and accuse me of being an enviromnentalist!!! )ROFL!! I just LOVE online forums!!

 

Couldn't they theoretically set off like a giant Co2 bomb in these mines and holes to just put the fire out?

 

In these times of "global warming" you more northernly folks are going to have to do
what we do here, and that is not dig "fire pits" They are a big NO NO here!!
If you dig a fire pit the roots of long dead plants can catch fire and spread underground
and eventually reach the dead mother tree or trees. resulting in a major forest fire from
your one little controlled camp fire!! The rootfires can burn for weeks just smoldering
and eventually break the surface and wreak havoc on the dry surface. If the rains are
reduced due to global warming or whatever cause it is, This is going to be a more and
more apparent happening wether it is a coal seam or a root line. Please make your
fires above ground level wether that means a BBQ or a semi rim(actually 2 rims one
facing up one facing down makes a good fire pit and has the perfect size air holes)
The only way to put out a underground fire on these scales is to dig way ahead of
the fires and remove "ALOT" of material and just let it burn out and even increase it's
burn rate by injecting air into the burn so it reaches the "dug" fire breaks. IF you have
seen the mountain top removal/valley fill mining you have an idea of the scope of the
material removal I am talking about!!

 

I don't think a "CO2 bomb" would do much good. After all, these fires are burning underground and releasing tons of CO2 themselves. I am kind of baffeled how they are lasting so long. They have to be getting oxygen somehow, and getting rid of the CO2 they put off.