Centralia, Pennsylvania

[PyroJoe]

Coal fire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania

"In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas-station owner and then mayor, John Coddington, inserted a stick into one of his underground tanks to check the fuel level. When he withdrew it, it seemed hot, so he lowered a thermometer down on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature of the gasoline in the tank was 172 °F (77.8 °C). Statewide attention to the fire began to increase, culminating in 1981 when 12-year-old resident Todd Domboski almost fell into a subsidence four feet wide by 150 feet (46 m) deep that suddenly opened beneath his feet in a backyard."

" The underground fire is still burning and will continue to do so for a predicted 250 more years."

[WebPilot]

First thing that came to mind was "Shee - it ! The pothole from hell."

I'll have to ask around to see if anything like that happened 'round here.