These mysterious fires in Australia have been burning for at least 6,000 years

It is at 224 under Mount winken, New South Wales in Australia Ki. M. North of Sydney, we see an out-of-control fire. Scientists say the fires have been going on for 6,000 years.

What is the origin of this fire?

Christened ” Burning Mountain “, This mysterious fire is the oldest underground fire the Earth has ever experienced. This mysterious phenomenon is thought to have started 6,000 years ago, but other scientists say it is old. So this fire is fed by a coal seam. By the way, once turned on, it is impossible to turn off. Fires spread and persist to a layer of coal that is naturally located under the Earth’s surface. No one knows exactly the size of the fire, but scientists estimate it could be a fireball 5 to 10 meters in diameter approaching 1,000 degrees Celsius.

According to scientists, this is not a typical man-made fire, but a phenomenon with natural causes. The first study was made in 1282, when a worker claimed to have discovered a volcano in the vicinity of the Mount winken area. But until 1829 Wilton, a geologist, said it was not a volcano, but a coal seam fire. According to information collected at the time, the fire covered about 6.5 kilometers. That’s why they were on fire about 6,000 years ago. Unfortunately, no official studies have been done on the subject.

The local population of vanarua considers this place sacred. Besides, they use fire to prepare and cook weapons. So it was they who gave birth to The Legend of the famous widow, whose tears burned the torch of a warrior who captured the fire or the “villain”.

But scientists still have a theory for these types of events. According to them, forest fires caused by lightning and that affected an outback, but also a self-heating, a phenomenon that occurs when the coal layer is too close to the surface and oxygen exposed to high concentration, with strong thermal radiation from the sun. Therefore, coal warms and causes inflammation.

How long does fire last?

Scientists estimate the fire has been burning under mountings for more than 6,000 years. Therefore, they do not have an exact date for stopping this fire. So fires will burn for billions more years until oxygen and sun are extinguished for good. By the way, every time the fire spreads, the mountain cracks, more and more oxygen comes into contact with coal. Even rain and litres of water could not bring the fire under control. In addition, the Burning Mountain is located a few feet from a river and the fire spreads to this place.

Finally, scientists say climate change is also affecting the fire’s life expectancy.