Centralia: Searching for Answers | Full Documentary

Centralia: Searching for Answers is a documentary exploring the history, impact, and legacy of the Centralia mine fire. Through interviews, archival material, on‑site filming, and historical research, the film examines how a coal‑mining community was transformed by decades of decisions and circumstances that continue to shape the region today.

FILM CREDITS
A Film By Andrew Hale & Joseph DeBell
Directed By Andrew Hale | Instagram: @_andrew_hale_ | X: @AndrewHale407 | LinkedIn: @andrewrhale407
Written By Andrew Hale & Joseph DeBell
Produced By Andrew Hale & Joseph DeBell
Edited By Andrew Hale
Director of Photography Joseph DeBell | Instagram: @joseph.debell | X: @Joseph_DeBell | LinkedIn: @joseph-debell
Additional Cinematography Andrew Hale
Sound Engineer Lucas Norton | Fiver: @lucasnorton
Production Design Andrew Hale & Joseph DeBell
Visual Graphics Andrew Hale
Thumbnail / Cover Art by Aaron Prince | Instagram: @aarondprince | X: @JikeaV | LinkedIn: @aaron-prince-470b49248

FEATURING
David DeKok
David Whitchy
Steve Smith
Robert Dunkelberger
Michael Brandon
Ben Ketchum
David Kovach
Locals of Ashland, Pennsylvania
Residents of Centralia
Tourists Interviewed On Location
Staff of the Ashland Anthracite Museum

WITH THE HELP OF
Columbia County Historical & Genealogical Society
Ashland Anthracite Museum
Bloomsburg University Special Collections
Columbia County Courthouse

MUSIC
Passing Time — Kevin MacLeod
Cylinder Five — Chris Zabriskie
Additional music sourced through the YouTube Audio Library

ARCHIVAL / REFERENCE VIDEOS USED
2005 Interview with One of the Last Residents of Centralia, Pa. — wgaltv
The Town That Was Erased – Centralia, Pa. — wgaltv
Graffiti Highway Backfill – Centralia – 4/6/2020 — The Shenandoah Sentinel
Knox Mine Disaster Location and Footage — JPVideos
Struggle for an American Way of Life: Coal Miners and Operations in Central Pennsylvania, 1919–1933 — IUP Libraries
Centralia Fire — PBS (1982) — PBS
Ghost Town on Fire – Centralia Pa. Drone Footage — JPVideos
Raw 4K Drone Footage — Centralia — Andrew Dresher
FILMED ON LOCATION IN
Centralia, Ashland, Bloomsburg, Wilkes‑Barre, Shenandoah, Eckley Miners’ Village, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

SPECIAL THANKS
To everyone who shared their time, stories, and knowledge with us.
To the locals, historians, and visitors who helped bring this documentary to life.

FAIR USE NOTICE
This documentary contains copyrighted material used under the principles of Fair Use for purposes of commentary, criticism, education, news reporting, research, and historical documentation. All rights and ownership remain with their respective creators and copyright holders.