Silent Hill Inspiration ?

1962 Centralia, Pennsylvania - An exposed vein of coal was ignited accidentally during the practice of trash burning, with the fire eventually spreading throughout the mines beneath the borough. Attempts to put out the fire were unsuccessful, and to this day, smoldering mists still shroud areas of the town. The severity of the problem was brought to light after a series of accidents in the 70s and 80s, most notably an incident where a 12 year old boy almost fell to his death into a hot, deep subsidence as the ground collapsed beneath him.

In 1984, Congress allocated more than 42 million for relocation efforts, and while most residents have agreed to move, a handful chose to remain. With its abundance of underground fuel, some say that the fire will continue to burn a 1000 years from now.