Buzz
While spontaneous fire might appear to be an uncommon natural occurrence, it is actually quite prevalent both above and beneath the Earth's surface. Often sustained by underground coal, gas, or oil that seeps upward, some of these perpetual fires have been burning for hundreds of years—yet they remain surprisingly unknown to many.
10. Chestnut Ridge Park
Nestled behind a waterfall in Shale Creek Preserve, just south of Chestnut Ridge Park in Northwestern Pennsylvania, is a mysterious natural flame that becomes even more enchanting and peculiar as it flickers behind the cascading water. According to legend, this flame was originally ignited by Native Americans thousands of years ago.
While the fuel source for Chestnut Ridge Park’s flame (ethane and propane) is known, scientists remain puzzled about its origin and how it reaches the rocky enclosure. Recent studies reveal that the ground isn’t sufficiently hot to ignite the gas or sustain the flame, and the underground shale deposit isn’t at a depth where it could naturally fuel the fire. So, how does the Chestnut Ridge Park flame persist? Further research is required, but for now, it stands as a captivating and enigmatic natural wonder.
9. Mount Chimaera
Located on Olympos Mountain near Antalya, Turkey, flaming gas seeps are believed to have inspired the myth of the Chimera. This site might also be the volcanic region Pliny the Elder described as having “a flame that never dies, day or night.”
These fires have been alight for over 2,000 years, and their glow once guided ancient sailors away from treacherous rocky coasts. The eternal flame is thought to be fueled by methane gas rising through ophiolite—ancient seabed rock that has been uplifted and exposed on land.
8. Jharia Coalfield
Jharia, India, hosts one of the largest coal mine fires globally, with at least 70 individual fires merging into one massive blaze. These fires release thousands of tons of carbon dioxide annually, contributing significantly to India's status as the world's fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Coal mining in Jharia dates back to the late 19th century, with the first recorded fire occurring in the 1920s. The issue escalated in the 1970s when mining practices shifted from underground to open-cast methods, leaving coal exposed to oxygen and prone to ignition. Soft coal can spontaneously combust at temperatures as low as 40°C (104°F). Once ignited, these fires are nearly impossible to extinguish, and with no economic incentive for mining companies to address the issue, little action is taken. The advancing fires erode the land, causing houses and railroads to collapse. In 1995, an underground fire weakened a riverbank, leading to a wall collapse that flooded a mine and tragically killed 78 workers.
7. Burning Mountain
The underground coal fire responsible for creating “Burning Mountain” (Mount Wingen) near Wingen, New South Wales, Australia, was likely ignited by lightning or spontaneous combustion. While this is the prevailing theory, the exact cause remains unknown, as the fire has been burning continuously for at least 6,000 years. Scientists consider it potentially the oldest coal fire still burning today.
The fire advances at a rate of approximately 1 meter (3.3 ft) per year, moving southward. Though this may seem slow, over its 6,000-year lifespan, the fire has traveled at least 6 kilometers (3.7 mi). At this pace, it will take roughly 255,000 years to reach the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, covering a distance of about 280 kilometers (173 mi).
6. The Smoking Hills
In 1850, Captain Robert McClure navigated his vessel, the Investigator, through the Arctic waters, seeking traces of the vanished Franklin Expedition, which had disappeared while attempting to locate the Northwest Passage. Although McClure never uncovered the fate of Franklin’s crew (a mystery that remains unsolved to this day), he stumbled upon an extraordinary sight: enormous fires blazing across the rocky cliffs and peaks of Cape Bathurst. Believing the flames were signals from the local Inuit community, McClure dispatched a team to investigate and gather clues about Franklin’s expedition. While the team returned empty-handed regarding Franklin, they brought back a peculiar rock. Placed on the Captain’s mahogany desk, the rock burned a hole straight through the wood, revealing they had rediscovered the Smoking Hills.
Franklin had first encountered and named the Smoking Hills during his 1826 voyage in pursuit of the Northwest Passage. He documented strange smoke rising from fires within the hills, visible from the sea, and flames that burned despite the absence of vegetation. The Inuit referred to the area as the “land of sour water” due to the acidic, metal-laden water left behind by the underground oil shale fires.
5. The Enigmatic Water and Fire Cave
Taiwan boasts some of the world’s most remarkable mud volcanoes and natural springs, shaped by its unique geology. These mud volcanoes emit methane gas, and near Biyun Temple, a site known as the “Water and Fire Cave” features a spring and a small pool where methane bubbles rise to the surface. The gas fuels a perpetual flame, creating the illusion of fire burning on rock and water simultaneously.
Although the flames have diminished from their former three-meter (10 ft) glory, they remain awe-inspiring. According to local lore, the site was found by a monk in 1701, suggesting this fire has been alight for more than three centuries.
4. Mrapen
Indonesian folklore tells a tale of Sunan Kalijaga, one of the “Nine Saints of Islam,” and his weary followers after a lengthy journey. They paused to rest in the village of Mrapen, shivering from the cold. Kalijaga thrust his staff into the earth, withdrew it, and summoned fire to warm them. This flame holds sacred significance in Javanese culture and has been used to ignite “eternal flame torches” for Indonesian sporting events.
First documented in the 15th century as a “flame (that) never dies, even amidst rain or wind,” it continues to burn today, sustained by natural gas seeping from beneath the earth.
3. Jwalamukhi Temple
Numerous tales explain the origins of natural flames, but few are as grim as the Hindu legend of the eternal flame at Jwalamukhi Temple. According to the story, Prajapati Daksha publicly shamed his daughter Sati at a gathering, driving her to immolate herself to escape the humiliation. Enraged, her beloved—Lord Shiva, the God of Death—decapitated Daksha and roamed the cosmos with Sati’s charred remains. Eventually, Lord Vishnu dismembered Sati’s body and scattered the pieces across the Earth. Her tongue fell at the site of Jwalamukhi Temple, igniting her divine energy as an eternal flame.
Thus, the Jwalamukhi Temple is devoted to the Goddess of Light. Situated approximately 50 kilometers (31 mi) from Dharamshala, the temple houses eternal blue flames fueled by natural gas emerging from its rocky sanctum. Unlike traditional temples, it lacks an idol; the flame itself is revered as the deity. Annually, thousands of pilgrims visit, offering sweets, fruits, and milk as tokens of devotion.
2. The Eternal Fire of Baba Gurgur
At the heart of a vast oil field in Iraq lies the eternal flame of Baba Gurgur, fueled by natural gas seeping through the rocks. Local folklore suggests shepherds once used these fires to keep their flocks warm during chilly winters. Additionally, it’s believed that expectant mothers hoping for a son would visit the flames. This natural phenomenon might even be the inspiration behind the Biblical tale of the “fiery furnace,” where King Nebuchadnezzar cast three Jews for refusing to bow to a golden idol.
For millennia, locals have utilized the natural asphalt from Baba Gurgur for constructing homes, roads, and more. The flames are visible from miles away, and travelers to Kirkuk, Iraq, can spot them from the city. However, the fires release toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, prompting warning signs advising visitors to stay upwind of the smoke.
1. The Brennender Berg (‘Burning Mountain’)
The coal seam at Brennender Berg in Saarland, Germany, has been ablaze since 1688, with its origins shrouded in mystery—likely due to spontaneous combustion. Folklore suggests a shepherd kindled a fire near a tree stump, which spread through the roots and ignited the coal seam. Notably, the renowned poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited the site in 1770, documenting his experience: “Thick steam rose from the fissures, and the ground’s heat penetrated even the sturdy soles of our shoes.” A commemorative plaque now marks his visit.
While the coal fire’s intensity has diminished since the 19th century, smoke still rises from the rocks, and warm steam escapes through cracks. In the past, when the fire burned more fiercely, schoolchildren on field trips would cook eggs using the heat from these openings.
