Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Andreiașu de Jos

About Focul Viu (Living Fire) of Andreiașu de Jos

At a glance: National parks and reserves in Andreiașu de Jos, Vrancea County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

On the right slope of the Milcov Valley, in the Vrancea Subcarpathians, at ~430 m above sea level, the ground lets natural gas escape, mainly methane, which ignites by itself and burns on the spot. The geological structure, of Miocene sandstones, clays and cinerites, is heavily faulted, and the gas finds cracks through which to rise to the surface. Analyses have shown that, besides methane, carbon dioxide and helium also escape here.

The place was put under protection in 1973 by decision of the Vrancea County People's Council and recognised as a protected area of national interest by Law 5/2000. Specialists consider it the most extensive field of "living fires" in Romania, with ~400 m² of emissions and an estimated methane flow of ~50 t a year; the figures differ from one source to another, and the size of the whole reserve is given as anything between 12 and 40 ha. Locals say that before an earthquake the flames grow.

Do not expect a big fire: the flames are usually 10–30 cm high, sometimes reaching 50 cm, and they show better towards evening than in full daylight. When it rains they go out, and water bubbles in their place where the gas comes out.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Focșani it is ~37 km (under an hour), through Odobești, Broșteni, Mera, Reghiu and Valea Milcovului, to Andreiașu de Jos; then you follow the communal road towards Andreiașu de Sus (on maps it appears as DC 114, and in older guides the road from Focșani appears as DJ 205A). From Bucharest it is ~200 km to Focșani (around 2.5–3 hours) and then the rest of the way. Some visitors have described the last stretch as poorer, with gravel; take it slowly in a low car.

On foot from the road: leave the car on the asphalt and walk ~100 m on a gravel road, then on a concrete path, in ~5 minutes; the alternative starts at the information panel, on concrete steps, in ~10 minutes, more tiring. Public transport: we found no direct public transport to the reserve.

Where to park

There is no laid-out car park with a barrier or fee: cars are left on the roadside, on the asphalt or near the information panel. On maps a "Focul Viu" point appears as a car park, next to the access path.

Fees & discounts

We found no ticket or entrance fee in the recent sources and there is no ticket office on site; neither the town hall nor the county council publishes visiting fees.

Rules

Stay on the paths and outside the area marked by the kerb; do not touch the ground around the flames, which can be hot. Do not throw objects into the fire, do not picnic or barbecue, do not leave litter and do not scratch the gazebo or the benches. Keep children and pets away from the flames. The gas is methane: do not smoke or light a fire next to the emissions.

Facilities

Gazebo · benches · information panel · concrete paths and steps · no toilets, water or shop on site · no accommodation right nearby · variable mobile signal