The Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan has been burning uncontrolled since 1971. A news article from AFP says they have recently reduced the amount of leakage, and reduced the size of the fire.
The fire has been burning in the Karakum desert since 1971, when Soviet scientists accidentally drilled into an underground pocket of gas and then decided to ignite it.
The blaze has been spewing out massive quantities of methane, a gas that contributes to climate change, ever since.
The fix:
Numerous wells have been drilled around the fire to capture methane, she said at an environmental conference in the capital Ashgabat.
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There are numerous videos on YouTube showing the fire. As mentioned in the link above, the crater has become somewhat of a tourist attraction. It is actually better for the environment to burn off the methane gas.
_ Pete
