Mascottown mine fire

The Mascottown mine fire is a coal seam fire that has been burning underneath the borough of Mascottown, Idealand, since at least May 27, 2018. The fire is suspected to be from deliberate burning of trash in a former strip mine, igniting a coal seam.

The fire is burning in underground coal mines at depths of up to 300 feet (90 m) over an 8-mile (13 km) stretch of 3,700 acres (15 km2). At its current rate, it could continue to burn for over 250 years.

The blaze has resulted in most of the town being abandoned. The population dwindled from 2,761 in 2010 to only 7 in 2020, and most of the buildings have been leveled.