A fire has been burning beneath a small town in Pennsylvania for nearly 46 years, making it the most dangerous coal fire in US history.

The molten coal has been smouldering beneath the surface of Centralia since 1962, when a fire at a trash dump spread to the natural fuel under the town.

The US government decided to buy all the homes in Centralia in 1982 and relocate its people for $42 million (£21.5m) - rather than spend $660 million (£337.5m) to put out the fire.

But ten Centralians decided against the government buyout and remain in the town with no plans of leaving their homes.

John Comarnisky, 53, a schoolteacher said: "There were piles and piles of row houses and piles and piles of people...but nowadays in Centralia there are deer, bear, tons and tons of turkey, groundhogs, chipmunks, squirrels, you name it."

He added: "I've always wanted a house in the woods, and now I have one."

Mayor John Lokitis remains suspicious of the government's decision to drive people out of the town.

He said: "I think someone wants to get their hands on this coal under the borough. Because with us out, if they're successful in getting us out and emptying the town, remove all the people, there's nothing to stop someone from coming in and start mining the coal. And in essence, put the fire out in the process."

Geologist Tim Altares, however, insists the danger to anyone living there is real.

"The steam brings gases with it. These gases can infiltrate right into your basement. That doesn't mean every house has an equal opportunity to have gases infiltrate, but the probability is there, the risk is there. It's happened here in the past."

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