Back in the 1920s, or 1930sa gas company wanted to drill on some Arkansas mountain land for exploratory purposes. They got the permits, and bought rights to drill, and they hit gas.
The well exploded, and all that fire coming out of the ground convinced those hillbillies that the company had drilled into Hell and the devil was coming out to get them. It was about fifty years before any company was allowed to drill that area again. Now it has lots of gas wells in the area.
This may be in that vein.........................