Focul Viu de la Terca

Focul Viu de la Terca is a natural geological phenomenon located in Lopatari commune, Buzău County, on the slopes of the Subcarpatii de Curbura. The phenomenon consists of the permanent burning of natural gas — primarily methane — which escapes to the surface through fissures in the ground, producing flames of variable height, typically between 20 and 40 centimetres, sometimes exceeding 50 centimetres under low atmospheric pressure conditions. The Lopatari area lies within a zone rich in hydrocarbon deposits, characteristic of the Romanian Subcarpathian petroleum belt, and the gases at Terca originate from natural accumulations within Oligocene clay and sandstone strata. The flames do not extinguish naturally, burning continuously throughout the year, including in rain or snow, which is the site's principal distinguishing feature compared to other similar manifestations. The Buzău area also hosts related phenomena, including the Mud Volcanoes at Pâclele Mari and Pâclele Mici, located approximately 30 kilometres away. Focul Viu is accessed from Buzău via DJ 203K, through Beceni and Berca, continuing towards Lopatari; the road is partly paved and partly unpaved, and is passable by car in dry conditions. The site is signposted and reachable on foot from the communal road via a short path of several hundred metres. It is worth visiting for the rarity of the permanent surface burning of natural gas — an active geological process that can be directly observed in any season.