If you are one of the relatively few people to have visited Turkmenistan, you have almost certainly visited its most famous site, the ‘Gates of Hell.”

This location is officially named the Darvaza Gas Crater, and it has been on fire for more than 50 years. It is thought that it began when the Soviets were drilling for oil, and they accidentally drilled into a pocket of natural gas. This happens sometimes, and it is often handled by igniting the escaping gas on fire so that it doesn’t pollute the surrounding area.

Naturally, that is what the Soviets did. Unexpectedly, however, it didn’t burn for a while and go out. Instead, it actually caused a massive collapse in the ground measuring 70.1 meters (230 feet) by 20.1 meters (66 feet).

Not only did it make a crater, but the fire kept burning within the crater. That was in the 1970s, and it is still burning today.

This is because the natural gas pocket was far bigger than they expected. There were some early attempts to put the fire out, but they did not work, so it was decided to just let it burn. And burn it did.

The natural gas pocket is from methane that is seeping out from the Earth. If the fire were extinguished, the methane would just escape into the atmosphere, which would be a very bad thing.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that can contribute strongly to climate change. Burning the methane converts it to carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas, but not nearly as strong a one.

According to a report in the New York Times, however, the flames may be going out on their own. Flame levels have been measured by various groups, including via satellites, and they are actually far dimmer than they once were.

From 2022 to 2025, the crater put out an estimated 1300 kilograms of methane per hour. When estimates were made again in October of 2025, however, these emissions went up to 1960 kilograms per hour.

So, if the fires do indeed go out, it is not because the gas source has been exhausted. While the Gates of Hell are certainly not good for the environment, keeping them burning is actually preferable according to most experts.

Determining exactly why the fires are going out and what options are available will help to determine what steps, if any, should be taken.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about the negative effects of the climate crisis on young people’s mental health.