“Unveiled Secrets: The Mysterious ‘Eternal Flames’ of Earth Revealed—One Hidden Within a Waterfall!”

Earth is an eternal wonderland, brimming with breathtaking landscapes and jaw-dropping natural phenomena—sorry, Mars, but we’ve got you beat! Recently, one intrepid explorer, Mike Loughran, put the spotlight on a stunning natural marvel he discovered: an ‘eternal flame’ nestled within a serene waterfall in New York. Can you believe it? A fire that just keeps going, fueled by the very essence of the Earth itself! And as it turns out, Mike’s find is just one of several of these remarkable flames around the globe. Intrigued? Let’s dive deeper into the captivating world of eternal flames and uncover where these fiery beauties can be found!
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Not including humans, our planet is full of wonderful things, from jaw-dropping landscapes to natural wonders, like auroras.

Mars ain’t got nothing on us.

But admittedly, one homosapien has showcased just how amazing Earth is by spotting an ‘eternal flame’ in a waterfall.

And it turns out there’s quite a few of them all over the world.

What are ‘eternal flames’?

Eternal flames are fires that are fuelled by the Earth’s resources, burning continuously.

There are 14 known locations around the world.

Now, on his travels, Mike Loughran came across an eternal flame, named Eternal Flame Falls in New York.

So at the bottom of the waterfall there’s a small grotto where the eternal flame burns, and Mike pulled out his camera to show us what it looked like.

But where are all the others?

All the ‘eternal flames’ on Earth:

Darvaza, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan has been home to an eternal flame, known as the ‘Gates of Hell’, which has apparently been on fire since the 1980s.

Measuring in around 70 meters wide and 30 meters deep, the fire was ignited by Soviet engineers attempting to burn off leaking natural gas. Decades later, it’s still there.

It’s known as the ‘gates of hell’ (Merdan Velhanov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Guanziling, Taiwan

Located near Guanziling, this eternal flame was discovered in 1701 and features a continuous fire burning atop a pool of water.

This particular phenomenon sees the natural gas emissions interact with the spring water, creating the illusion of burning water.

Olympos National Park, Turkey

In Olympos National Park is Yanartaş, made up of a number of small flames emerging from vents on the mountainside.

And these fires started burning 2,500 years ago, believed to be the inspiration behind the ancient myth of the Chimera, a fire-breathing creature in Greek mythology.

The Chimaera eternal flame in Turkey (Getty stock photo)

Digah, Azerbaijan

Yanar Dağ translates to ‘Burning Mountain’, which is located on a hillside near Baku, where flames continuously blaze along a 10-meter stretch.

Some have suggested that it was ignited by a discarded cigarette in the 1950s.

Yanar Dağ has been burning on the slope of a hill in Azerbaijan (Getty stock photo)

Himachal Pradesh, India

This Hindu temple is home to a natural gas flame that has been burning for over a century.

Legend suggests that the flame represents the fiery tongue of the goddess Sati, marking her spiritual presence.

Jomsom, Nepal

The eternal flame in Jomsom has been burning for over 2,000 years.

It is said that the Hindu god Brahma lit the flame, which continues to burn as a symbol of divine presence.

(Getty Stock Images)

Murchison, New Zealand

In the South Island village of Murchison, a smokeless flame burns in a bush near the Blackwater River. This was thought to have been ignited in the 1920s by a hunter’s discarded match.

Kirkuk, Iraq

An ancient oil field near Kirkuk is home to an eternal flame known as Baba Gurgur.

Some biblical scholars believe it to be the ‘fiery furnace’ mentioned in the Old Testament.

Jharia, India

This extensive coalfield has been burning since 1916 due to underground coal seam fires. The ongoing blaze has led to significant environmental and health issues for local communities.

Centralia, US

An underground coal mine fire has been burning beneath the borough of Centralia since at least 1962. The fire has caused the abandonment of the town as some liken it to Silent Hill.

The fire is burning under the PA Highway 61 (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)

Laurel Run, US

Ignited in 1915, this coal seam fire near Laurel Run has been burning for over a century. The fire was accidentally started and continues to smoulder underground.

New Straitsville, US

During a miners strike in 1884, flaming mine cars were pushed into a coal mine, igniting a fire that still burns today.

Mount Wingen, Australia

Believed to have been smouldering for approximately 6,000 years, this underground coal seam fire is the world’s oldest known continuous fire. The Indigenous Wanaruah people named the mountain ‘Wingen’, meaning ‘fire’.