The underground fire burned for 59 years in China

The fuel left over from an abandoned gas well keeps the underground fires burning continuously in the southwestern Chinese village.

Seven or eight flames often rises from a 4m ² plot of land in a village in Changshu District, Chongqing City, China, National Geographic reported yesterday. Regardless of the weather, the land burns all year round. Local people flock here twice a day to boil water, each time only takes about 5 minutes.

The fire burned continuously in the village in Chongqing Province, China.(Video: National Geographic).

"Burning wood used to be very expensive in the past and sometimes, we had to go to the western hilly area to bring the bundles of wood back. But this place was more convenient. We came here with cooking pots and pans. goods to boil sweet potatoes and spinach " , CCTV + quoted, Wang Mantang, a village resident.

Underground fires appear all over the world, from warm weather like China to colder regions like Siberia. The United States also has an endless fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania, which begins to burn 50 years ago. These flames are burned by lightning, by human ignition, mining or self-outbreak. Once burned, the fire can burn continuously for decades.

"Usually they are quite similar, and the cause of the fire may be different," said Anupma Prakash, a professor of geophysics at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. "After the fire began to burn, the same problem all over the world."

Coal is often the culprit causing underground fires in China. This coal-producing nation has 62 continuous flames scattered in the north. The land of fire in Chongqing was born 59 years ago when an oil exploration team drilled a natural gas well in the area. Workers left the gas station almost undiscovered. The gas well releases residual gas, becoming a source of fuel for the flames from then on.

Villagers in Chongqing find a way to use the fire in a way that benefits cooking. However, the harm they cause can be much greater than the benefits."Because of the subterranean fires, they are" eating out "of coal. Compressed by pressure, the land can collapse into death pits, swarm the houses and suck in more and more oxygen. to add fuel to the fire, which could lead to uneven terrain and potholes, " explained Prakash.

Picture 1 of The underground fire burned for 59 years in China
Villagers use fire to boil water, cook.(Photo: National Geographic) .

With hollow ground, cracks can form on the surface. Where there is fire, there is smoke, a toxic mixture of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and coal dust rolls up, polluting the air. Smoke not only makes climate change more serious by increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but also harmful to health.

"Smoke covers the whole area. It is really bad for the body. Imagine having to smoke 24/7 all year round," Prakash said.

According to Prakash, the flames can be controlled. Every fire needs three elements: fuel, oxygen and heat. If one can eliminate one of the three elements, humans can extinguish the fire. Some communities treat fire fires underground by pouring water and peat mixture on top. Other places use swollen clay to block the source of oxygen and turn off the fire. Liquid nitrogen is also used to extinguish underground fire.