Unseen Danger: A Tragedy of People, Government, and the Centralia Mine Fire

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About Unseen Danger: A Tragedy Of People, Government, And

Product Description Award-winning journalist David DeKok tells, for the first time, how the Centralia mine fire really started in 1962. He shows how local, state and federal government officials failed to take effective action, allowing the fire to move underneath the small town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. By early 1981, the fire was sending deadly gases into homes, forcing the federal government to install gas alarms. A 12-year-old boy dropped into a steaming hole in the ground wrenched open by the fire's heat on Valentine's Day as the region's congressman toured nearby. DeKok tells how the people of Centralia banded together to demand help from the government, finally winning money to relocate much of the town. About the Author David DeKok covered the Centralia mine fire for more than eight years as a reporter for The News-Item, Shamokin, Pa. A graduate of Hope College, he is a recipient of the National Press Club's Freedom of the Press Award. He lives in Harrisburg, Pa., with his wife and two daughters, and is a business reporter for The Patriot-News.