The Devil’s Oven: The Fire in the Heart of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds

Right in our backyard exists the world's longest burning fire. Known as the “Devil's Oven,” it was first started during the 1884 miner's strike in New Straitsville, Ohio. Disgruntled miners, fighting for better wages and working conditions, set coal cars on fire and sent them burning into the mines. To this day, air pockets in the mines continue to feed the intermittent fiery outbursts. The Hocking Valley Mine Strike of 1884-85 resulted in landmark changes in labor union influence in the United States. Part of the Hocking Valley Coal Fields, New Straitsville is just one of the towns in Hocking Valley that is dying due to lost industry. But it's not all bad news. DEVIL'S OVEN is a poignant portrait of the history of coal, the rise- and fall- of the company town, and the slow revitalization of southern Ohio. The documentary focuses on the social, economic, and environmental context to the daily life of people living in the area, past and present, in a collection of townships now known as the “Little Cities of Black Diamonds.” –CCP