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The World’s Oldest Continuously Burning Fire
How long has it been burning?
The idea of an eternal flame has endured throughout human history. At some points, an eternal fire was thought of as something magical or holy. At other points, it was inspired by the sun. Eternal fire appears in mythology and there have been modern attempts to replicate this idea. There are numerous “eternal” flames that have been lit around the world to commemorate certain events. Modern eternal flames are fueled by power or gas, which keeps them burning far beyond their natural lifespan.
But which fire has been burning for the longest? Is it a modern eternal flame, or is it something from nature?
The Burning Mountain
The longest enduring fire has been burning for an estimated 6,000 years. That means this flame sprang into existence at the dawn of human civilization and has been happily burning ever since. This fire is located at a spot called Burning Mountain in Australia. The mountain is located in New South Wales, roughly two hours north of Sydney. The mountain’s official name is Mount Wingen, but most people call it a burning mountain due to the existence of…
