Eternal Flame Falls, the mysterious flame among the falls

Located in Chestnut Ridge County Park, just south of Buffalo in New York State there is a beautiful natural reserve with a small waterfall. Hidden beneath this waterfall is something special – an Eternal Flame, a fire which never burns out. This fascinating phenomenon puzzled most, as no scientific explanation was able to properly explain it.

There exist other eternal flames in the world, but this particular one seemed to have a geological process which was somewhat inexplicable. Perennial fires are usually kept alive thanks to the gases emitted from underlying rocks. And recent studies done by Indiana University have established that subsoil high temperatures which can reach up to 212°C can actually cause carbon molecules to break – the same molecules which make up sedimentary rocks and the same ones which are home to gases. This particular flame is only 30 inches tall and consumed about 2 pounds worth of gas a day, contained in a natural pocket located 400 meters deep. This high concentration of methane, along with the presence of ethane and propane is one of the largest quantities ever found on such a surface.



These Eternal Flame Falls that lives in Chestnut Ridge County Park is kept alive thanks to the constant quantity of methane gas supplied. And though once in a while the flame is known to go out, it is quickly lit again, perhaps due to the fact that it is located just among the local falls. Legend has it that it was first lit hundreds of years ago by Native Americans.

Today, these waterfalls attract plenty of visitors who come to see the eternal flame among waters – where fire and water meet and live in harmony.

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