Muck Fires can kill a tree by burning its roots, causing the tree to fall. Firefighters can’t bring equipment  to these grounds; they will either sink because of the thin surface or a tree can fall on it.

 

Muck fires can be as hot as 500 degrees fahrenheit and burn for months, sometimes lasting a whole year.

The smoke from the muck creates a really bad odor

 

The smoke can harm your lungs, cause scratchy throats and irritated eyes and noses.

 

The smoke from the muck fire does NOT go away. Unfortunately the smoke can stay for weeks as well.

This is lignite. The rock above the reason we have muck fires today. One block of lignite can burn for up to a year. Imagine how long the muck fire will burn if  it contains hundreds of miles of lignite? Lignite is constantly burning, therefore the fire will always burn. Lignite is made up of very high ash content and high inherent moisture content. Sometimes up to 66%.  It is also made up of heterogenous mixture of compounds. These compounds for which no single structural formula will suffice. Lignite can be two different kinds. However the one in a muck fire is usually xyloid lignite or fossil wood.  One more thing you should know… lignite is a type of coal. No wonder it is always burning.

Hopefully this short paragraph has added lignite to your knowledge. Just remember… Muck fires are the result of the rock which is burning as we speak… LIGNITE!!  :{D

Muck fires commonly occur on marshlands that have dried out. For example, Florida and Indonesia. Muck is the accumulation of older water and plant generations.

Sadly no. Nothing can extinguish a muck fire. They are constantly burning because of the lignite underground. The lignite can never be put out, therefore leaving the muck fires unstoppable.

Muck fires are fires that are constantly burning underground. They start when lightning hits a dry area which contains lignite, a brown coal or rosebud.