CONYNGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — A meeting was held in Columbia County to provide answers to residents on the mine fire that has been burning since 2022.
A small community meeting took place in Wilburton Number Two in Conyngham Township.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection, a fire started by trespassers has been burning since December 2022. Residents have since complained of sulfur smells in their homes and smoky conditions.
On Thursday night, area lawmakers and the DEP provided an update for community members, saying the mine fire is contained, but no timeline is in place for when the fire will stop burning
"In the summer, when you try to open the windows, and we get the wind out of the North, Northeast, you're choking. My wife gets headaches all the time from it. We still don't know how long it's going to take to get it out. We are still going to be affected by the fumes, and until this is resolved, a lot of people are still going to have questions here," said Rob Marlow of Wilburton Number Two.
Wilburton Number Two is only about three miles away from Centralia, where a mine fire has been burning for decades.