Eternal Flames in the World

Inside the cave, behind the 10.7 m high Eternal Flame waterfall in Shale Creek Reserve (USA), the flame is about 20 cm high, one of the natural flames that has burned for thousands of years.

Eternal fires are fires that burn for a long time without being extinguished, either because they lie on natural gas veins or because they are created by human intervention.

1. Eternal Flame Falls, Shale Creek Preserve, New York, USA

The eternal flame burns behind the waterfall. Photo: Wikimedia — The eternal flame burns behind the waterfall. Photo: *Wikimedia*

One of the world’s most famous eternal flames is nestled in a small cave behind the 35-foot-tall Eternal Flame Falls in the Shale Creek Preserve, according to Interesting Engineering . The 8-inch-high flame has been burning for thousands of years. Researchers still don’t know what fuels the eternal flame, but they suspect some geological process is steadily releasing natural gas from shale rock 400 meters down. Inside the cave, the small flame can be seen for most of the year and even burns in the winter when the falls freeze. Occasionally, it may go out and need to be rekindled.

2. Yanartas, Olympos Valley, Türkiye

Yanartas is located on the Chimaera mountain in the Olympos Valley in modern-day Antalya, Turkey. The area is home to not just one, but dozens of small, natural flames. The eternal flames are located near the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmiths and fire. They have been burning for over 2.5 millennia. Visitors say the area looks like hell on Earth at night.

3. Erta Ale, Ethiopia

The fires at Erta Ale's lava lake appear periodically. Photo: iStock — The fires at Erta Ale's lava lake appear periodically. Photo: *iStock*

Erta Ale is located in the Afar Basin of Ethiopia. Meaning “smoky mountain,” Erta Ale is a 613-meter-high shield volcano. Its most impressive feature is the permanently active lava lake nearby. This is an incredibly rare phenomenon, especially one that has existed for so long. Also known as the “gateway to hell,” Erta Ale’s lava lake was discovered in 1906. The lake’s cycle includes cooling, forming a black layer, and erupting 3.96-meter-high flames.

4. Yanar Dağ, Azerbaijan

Yanar Dağ in Azerbaijan is an impressive natural eternal flame. Located in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, Azerbaijan is often referred to as the “Land of Fire”, partly due to the existence of this unique natural phenomenon. Yanar Dağ burns thanks to natural gas seeping from the porous sandstone on the hillside above Absheron Bay. Sometimes the flames are so intense that they can reach 2.74 m high. They have been known since ancient times.

5. Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

The fire in Darvaza crater is the result of human impact. Photo: Wikimedia — The fire in Darvaza crater is the result of human impact. Photo: *Wikimedia*

The Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan is one of the world’s most fascinating natural eternal flames. Located in a giant gas field discovered by Soviet petroleum engineers in the 1970s, it is one of the few examples of a man-made fire. Exploratory drilling in the area led to an underground collapse, swallowing the rig and camp. While no lives were lost, large amounts of methane gas began to rise to the surface. Rather than let the methane build up to unsafe levels, the engineers decided to burn off the escaping gas. Contrary to expectations that the fire would go out in a few days, it has been burning for more than 50 years.

An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering )

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