When they breach the surface of the earth, coal seam fires can sometimes be detected from satellites.

Estimates of coal lost to these fires range from 20 million to 600 million metric tons of coal annually. Not only do coal seam fires harm the environment and human health by burning uncontrolled, they also deplete non-renewable resources. At the moment, the total amount of greenhouse gases released from coal seam fires is not well studied, but scientists agree that the amounts may be substantial. Metal toxins like mercury can also settle out of the air and into the ecosystem, contaminating food supply chains. Carbon monoxide, known as the silent killer, can cause flu-like symptoms and often death without warning. Unlike forest fires, coal seam fires also release large quantities of toxic fumes such as mercury, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide which are present in the coal and can be deadly. A coal seam fire in Colorado in 2002 roared through almost 4,900 hectares (12,000 acres) of land and destroyed 29 homes. They cause the ground to become extremely hot and unstable, destroying roads and homes, as well as creating fiery sinkholes that swallow anything from cars to people. Like any fire-related natural disaster, they impact the communities in the surrounding area. Courtesy Photo / Wikimedia commons.Ĭoal seam fires pose numerous safety hazards and economic issues. In recent US history, coal seam fires have accounted for up to 15 percent of fires in coal mines.ĭamage from coal seam fire in West Glenwood, Colorado. The Brennender Berg fire (which translates to “Burning Mountain”) in Germany has been burning since the 17 th century and is believed to be a product of spontaneous coal combustion - when the right combination of pressure and oxygen causes the coal to ignite. The origins of older coal seam fires, however, are not as clear. The town of Centralia, Pennsylvania has been on fire for more than half a century due to activities outside the local coal mine that caused the seam to combust. Most coal seam fires are ignited by human activity, usually in the process of coal mining or waste removal. Due to their virtually endless supply of fuel and oxygen, many coal seam fires are expected to keep burning well into the next century. At any given moment there are hundreds of coal seam fires burning anywhere large coal deposits exist, from Pennsylvania to China to Germany. They occur underground when a layer of coal in the earth’s crust is ignited. Due to the out-of-sight nature of the fires, they are often hard to detect at first, and even harder to extinguish. These fires are known as coal seam fires. Across the globe hundreds of fires burn low and slow on dirty fuel beneath the earth, smoldering for decades or even centuries. The world is on fire, and not just from forest fires or volcanoes.

King under the mountain in german