- The Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan has been burning for over 53 years since 1971
- Soviet engineers ignited the crater to prevent toxic gas spread, expecting it to burn out quickly
- Turkmengaz announced the fire's intensity has reduced threefold as of June 5, 2025
For more than half a century, a crater of fire has lit up the Karakum Desert, earning the nickname "Gates to Hell" or "Door to Hell". Now, officials say the infamous blaze is finally dimming, the New York Times reported. But while environmentalists are celebrating, tourism operators and locals are asking whether putting out the fire cost Turkmenistan its most famous attraction.
The Darvaza gas crater is 70 meters wide and 30 meters deep, near the village of Darvaza, about 260 km north of Ashgabat. Its origin is quite mysterious, but the locals say that the crater was created in 1971 when Soviet geologists drilling for natural gas punctured an underground cavern. The ground collapsed, swallowing the rig and opening vents that spewed methane and other toxic gases.
"The history is always sketchy," Rich Beal, a Mongolia-based guide for Koryo Tours, said as quoted in the report. He further stated that he has visited the site 30 times. "Nobody quite knows."
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To prevent poisonous gas from spreading to nearby villages, engineers decided to ignite it, expecting the fuel to burn off in a few weeks. "Soviet scientists set the crater ablaze, thinking the fire would die down within a few weeks," according to Live Science. Instead, it burned for 53 years, fed by massive underground reserves. At night, the orange inferno was visible for kilometres - a "raw display of untamed natural power".
On June 5, 2025, Turkmenistan's state-owned energy company Turkmengaz announced that the fire had been "reduced threefold." Irina Luryeva, a director at Turkmengaz, spoke at an environmental conference in Ashgabat. "Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell', today only a faint source of combustion remains."
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The government has not specified the exact time frame of the reduction, but numerous wells have been drilled around the crater to capture methane before it reaches the surface and ignites.
Satellite images from May 2020 showed a roaring pit; recent accounts describe a much weaker flame. Explorer George Kourounis, the first person to descend into the crater in 2013, warned that extinguishing it may be temporary.
But Is Killing the Fire a Good Thing?
The "Gateway to Hell" became Turkmenistan's top tourist attraction. Despite the country's strict visa rules, thousands made the trek across the Karakum to see the 1,000 degrees C pit at night. Tour operators set up yurts nearby for visitors to watch the flames under the stars.
Local businesses fear a dimmer crater means fewer tourists. "It's our only real draw," one guide told news agency AFP.
It's so popular, despite the fact that the site has no fencing and no tickets - just raw, dangerous spectacle.
