A decision was made at the U.S. Bureau of Mines to provide $42 million in aid a year later. However, these funds were still insufficient to extinguish the fire in the mine and the toxic gases.
Due to the poisonous gases, people slowly began to leave the town. By the year 2020, only 10 people remained on 155 acres of land. Centralia, once an industrial town, began to transform into a ghost town.
Experts say that there is fuel for the flames to consume for decades and that the fire will continue to burn for up to 250 years.
As the years passed, the ground beneath the town began to heat up significantly. It is said that due to the fire reaching the depths, the temperature has risen to 482 degrees Fahrenheit.