Much of the 40 million tons of anthracite below the dismantled borough of Centralia is now accessible to strip mining. This deposit, shown as the Mammoth basin on U.S. Geological Survey maps, is quite separate from the mine fire. What's on fire is part of the Buck vein, in an area south of Centralia along a ridge that was mined twice early in the 20th century. What was not worth mining is what's burning. The Mammoth vein, on the other hand, is not on fire.
Television news is part of the answer.
Even scientists studying the fire refer to the location as Centralia. Over the years, the distinction between Centralia and the fire's actual location blurred and eventually disappeared. Then it was expanded to include half the town. Then the state went after the whole town. With adequate fuel and oxygen, a mine fire can burn virtually indefinitely.