Devil's Oven: The Fire in the Heart of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds (2007)

'Devil's Oven' is a still-burning century-old mine fire, set during a labor dispute in 1884. The fire's origin tells a deep and troubling story of an age when the mining of fossil fuels, a prevailing concept of progress, and corporate power overtook the human capacity to provide fair and decent wages and working conditions, to plan for a sustainable market and industry, and to consider the short or long term consequences to the environment from which the ore was being extracted. The legacy of the "Boom - Bust" era of the Hocking Valley Coal Field is evident today in the scarred hillsides, polluted streams, and dying villages. 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. Featured are tales of migration, mining disputes, mine fire tours and moonshine. Unique solutions to the acid mine drainage (AMD) from water flowing out of the old mines are shown to be successful, along with social and economic recovery programs that have encouraged residents to reclaim and preserve their history.