whatproblems t1_jd38olx wrote on March 21, 2023 at 2:59 PM

Reply to comment by crispy1978 in TIL A coal seam in Australia is believed to have been burning for 6,000 years, making it the oldest coal fire. The site's name is Mount Wingen but is commonly called Burning Mountain and the fire is traveling south 1m per year discoloring the ground as it goes. by jamescookenotthatone

i mean you’d probably have to redirect a river into it to stop it

iCameToLearnSomeCode t1_jd5cdy0 wrote on March 21, 2023 at 11:04 PM

I don't think that would do it.

It's clearly got its own oxygen source down there and open spaces that aren't braced frequently collapse protecting the front edge of the fire from the burned sections and the unburned sections aren't that permeable to water.