Five most terrible fires of the XX century

In the XX century in different countries on different continents, there was a lot of destructive fires, burning the city and takes away hundreds of lives.

Went century, improved methods of fighting fires, but completely protect themselves from the violence of fiery elements humans can not to the present day.

 

1906. Fire in San Francisco

California is earthquake-prone places in the world, and earthquakes cause widespread destruction on its territory. However, the main culprit of the tragedy that occurred in San Francisco in April 1906 has become massive fire. Destruction suffered almost all water pipes, leaving San Francisco without water. As a result of the disaster killed the chief of the city fire brigade, so firefighters were left without leadership. According to local reporters, the first fire broke out ostensibly because some kind of women who cook on an oven. However, there were numerous cases of arson. They made the owners of destroyed houses which had fire insurance, but do not by the earthquake.

A few hours later blazed almost the whole city. San Francisco burned for three days, and stop the fire did not help even a few thousand soldiers. Among other things, police and soldiers had to fight even with the marauders. The authorities have given orders to shoot criminals on the spot, as a result of such a measure has been applied to a few dozen people. San Francisco was destroyed by 80 percent, killing about 3,000 people, more than 300,000 were left homeless. The material damage amounted to 400 million dollars, adjusted for inflation in today’s equivalent of about $ 7 billion.

 

1923. Fire in Tokyo

As in the case of San Francisco, the cause of a terrible fire in the capital of Japan in 1923 was an earthquake, which is known in this country as the “Great Kanto Earthquake.” An earthquake measuring 8.3 points occurred September 1, 1923. Under attack were several Japanese cities, but most affected Yokohama and Tokyo. On a share of Tokyo fell a huge fire. He destroyed about 300,000 out of a million buildings in the city. The earthquake and fire has deprived of almost all capital stone buildings.

But the worst thing that thousands of people were killed. Salvation did not have even in open spaces. One of the squares have gathered tens of thousands of people surrounded by the burning building. From suffocation on the square, killing about 40,000 people. The total number of victims of the fire to establish in Tokyo is almost impossible, but just as a result of the earthquake and fire in September 1923 in Japan, killing about 175,000 people, nearly half a million missing. Material damage measured in billions of dollars.

 

1942. Fire in Boston

Unlike the Europeans, the lives of ordinary Americans during the Second World War has not undergone major changes too. US residents visited stadiums, cinemas, night clubs. Many of those who attended the popular Boston Club “Coconut Grove” on the night of November 28, 1942, was not destined to leave the club alive. According to one version, the cause was a short circuit, on the other – the flames broke out because someone dropped match. The room started to panic which could not stop the administration. People ran to the door, which caused a stampede. Visitors died from choking smoke, burned alive, trampled to death by the crowd.

On that night the club had more than 1,000 people, despite the fact that the license allowed to stay in the room no more than 430. Firefighters arrived within ten minutes, smashing windows, broke down the door and quickly extinguished the fire. From the fire were killed 490 people, hundreds more seriously injured.

 

1947. Fire in Texas City

Texas City fire started, was a human imprudence and negligence. French ship “Grandcamp”, which was the home port of Marseille, arrived in Texas City for a cargo of ammonium nitrate, also known as ammonium nitrate. On April 13, 1947 aboard the “Grandcamp” was loading nitrate in 100-pound paper bags. By the morning of April 16 the ship was loaded with more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. At 8 am, when the loading has been renewed, one of the sailors noticed smoke coming out of the hold. The hold started to fill with water, and then brought soda-acid fire extinguishers. Smoke from this greatly increased.

At 8:20 manhole covers were torn off, and there was a naked flame. Captain Charles de Zhellyabon ordered his team to go ashore, and he waited firefighters. To extinguish the “Grandcamp” was sent 27 of 50 city firefighters. The audience, considering that the danger does not threaten her, was watching the fire from the shore. But at 9:12 there was a massive explosion, due to which the water has evaporated from the pier, where there was a boat. Wreckage scattered all two miles, the blast wave had been shot down two aircraft. From the explosion killed hundreds of people. The explosion caused a powerful fire in the city had plenty of chemical warehouses and businesses. The city burned for three days. During this time, in addition to the devastation on the shore, the ship exploded two more, with a cargo of sulfur and saltpeter.

When the fire extinguished, it turned out that he had destroyed the city by two-thirds. In the fire killed up to 75 percent of industrial enterprises, mainly oil and gas industry. Killed about 1,500 people, hundreds missing, 3,500 injured and burns.

 

1989. Fire on the stretch Asha – Ulu Telyak

In June 1989, the trumpet product pipeline “Western Siberia – Ural – Volga region”(Russia), in which transported wide fraction of light hydrocarbons (Liquefied Gas & gasoline mixture), formed a narrow gap length of 1.7 m. Because of pipeline leakage and special weather conditions the gas has accumulated in the valley, through which 900 meters from the Trans-Siberian pipeline passes.

Duty Officer, seeing the pressure drop in the product pipeline, instead of searching for leaks, he has increased the supply of gas for its restoration. Around the railroad tracks formed lakes of flammable materials.

June 4th, 1989 at 1:15 am local time in a hazardous area have met the train number 211 “Novosibirsk – Adler” and the number 212, “Adler – Novosibirsk”. At that moment there was a volumetric gas explosion, after that started a powerful fire. What exactly was the cause is unknown. According to experts, it could be a spark or a cigarette butt, thrown out of window.

The shock wave knocked out windows in Asha, located at a distance of 10 kilometers. The fire covered an area of 250 hectares. The situation is complicated by the fact that the scene of the tragedy was in an inaccessible area. For evacuation and firefighting have connected military. The victims of the tragedy became 575 people, serious injury and burns received 623 people.

Comments

comments