A ring of fire in the middle of nowhere
In the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan, a circular gash gapes in the sand. During the day, it looks like an ordinary crater, but as soon as the sun sets, the ground begins to glow. Hundreds of small flames dance like a ring of fire along the rim and at the bottom. Travelers have called it the “Door to Hell” or “Gates of Hell” for decades; officially, it’s also called the “Shining” or “Lights of Karakum.”
It’s not a volcano. It’s burning natural gas.
The accident that many believe started it all in 1971
The best-known story sounds like a movie scene: Soviet geologists allegedly drilled in 1971, hit an underground gas chamber, and the ground collapsed. To prevent the gas from spreading, the fire was supposedly lit, hoping it would die out after a few weeks. Only… it didn’t.
An important detail: the exact origins are not well-documented. Several sources admit that archives are incomplete or difficult to access, and that there are variations regarding the date and precise circumstances. However, it is certain that the crater has been burning for decades and has become known worldwide as a “gateway to hell.”
Why it burned for so long
The crater lies in a region with large gas reserves. As long as sufficient gas leaks upward, the fire will continue to feed itself. That’s what makes the phenomenon so bizarre: not a sea of flames from a single focal point, but countless small fires that keep flaring up in places where gas escapes.
And that fire has a side effect: it’s both a combustion and an emissions problem. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. That’s why the crater has become a symbol of waste and climate impact for years.
The turning point: hell is getting weaker
This is where things get interesting, because something has changed in recent years. Turkmenistan has publicly stated that the intensity of the fire has been significantly reduced. At an international conference in 2025, they spoke of a reduction “almost three times” lower than before, and that the glow that was once visible from afar would now only be visible up close.
How would they do that? By (re)opening wells in the area and drilling new, productive wells, the gas is captured before it reaches the crater. According to the Turkmen government, new wells since the end of 2024 have yielded significantly higher gas extraction, with a visible effect on the crater. Independent satellite data from a specialized company was cited as confirmation that emissions and flare intensity are decreasing.
“Fading” doesn’t mean out: What you really need to believe
So the crater isn’t suddenly “out.” What is credible, based on recent statements and satellite analyses, is that the flames are less intense and smaller than before, because the gas supply to the crater is decreasing. This is different from a permanent closure. It remains a system that can change, depending on geology and how much gas is trapped in the surrounding area.
In other words: the Door to Hell no longer resembles the all-scorching fire disk of its past. But as long as gas is still escaping, there will still be fire somewhere.
