I would have done a Google on this, but I don’t really know what the heck keywords to use to find exactly what I am looking for. This is right up your alley anyway.
It sounds like a Weekly World News article, and maybe it has been… Is there a town somewhere that is deserted because the underground is full of burning red hot coal, which may never extinguish?
I recently saw a a fleeting glimpse of an ad for a documentary spot on tv, but I didn’t get to catch what the show was, or when, so I missed it. 
It showed a guy walking on a road, which was all split open and the ground under the crack was glowing. It wasn’t a lava thing nor fake. I have seen brief references to this story in the past. Im not sure where, though.
It sounds like a fascinating story and I’d like to know about it. If I could see a video documentary, that would, rock.
A little town called Centralia. This site has some pretty good pics: http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm
Pretty spooky stuff…
Entertainingly discussed by Bill Bryson in his book A Walk in the Woods.
The Daily Show actually went to Centralia for one of their little reports. I live pretty close to it and my friend and I took pictures of each other sitting on the bench where Matt Walsh was interviewing a local.
Thanks, folks.
I’m still curious to hear Anthracite’s take on this story.
For more information about the Centralia fire and other similar fires, see this GQ thread: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=81148
I may have to swing up there and see it for myself, since I only live a short distance away. If I do, I’ll let you guys know what it was like.
As it is, the pictures were rather spooky. I’m not sure what’s left, but seeing a ghost town would be kinda neat, methinks.