1906 Fire Essay

Destruction and chaos were common sights as the fire that burned California’s bay area city of San Francisco in 1906 was one of the worst disasters in the history of the United States. A series of chain reactions unfolded, and then consequently from lack of preparedness and building and safety codes we have today, the end result was thousands of people within the city losing their lives. Unfortunately, it was from this mass casualty incident and many others that included a great loss of lives that we have the fire prevention and fire safety that we use not just in the United States, but in other developed countries as well. In the early morning hours of April 18, 1906, the city of San Francisco was transformed forever. An earthquake suddenly

For example, when the fire originated in the southern section of Howard, one of the initial buildings believed to have caught fire was a laundromat. Fire hydrants in the immediate area were being examined and they were found to not have any water. Firefighters that were nearby on Engine number four were the first on the scene and were having bad luck with all of the hydrants being useless. Some could say that it could be a lack of initiative and complacency in checking the fire hydrants before the fire even started. If they were previously checked, attempts could have been made to extinguish the fire before it would have the chance to turn into the fire that history knows it. Not as many people would have lost their lives and not as many people would have been left homeless if the proper precautions were in service and operate before the event began. It was unpredicted yes, but measures such as making sure fire hydrants properly work are just one-way firefighters are able to prevent not just a fire from starting but to lower the negative effect that can possibly occur. What many people also may not know is that this fire was not just one huge fire that enveloped the city, it was dozens and dozens of sporadic fires that broke out in different areas of the city. Some of the fires were different in size but it was not just one large continuous fire as it may seem to be thought

It is believed that approximately 3,000 people lost their lives in the fire. Tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed and were piles of rubble throughout the city. They were people’s businesses, homes, places of recreation, and buildings with other uses as well. The total amount of financial loss was estimated to be at approximately more than 500 million dollars in 1906 U.S dollars. The damage sustained would displace roughly half of a million people. Makeshift shelters and tents were propped up throughout the city, and a concern about the city reignited when people began cooking their meals out in the city with debris near their cooking. Over five hundred blocks of homes, warehouses, schools, businesses, and other buildings were burned to a crisp. Even after the fire was already out, explosions continued as the military was taking down buildings that were still partially standing, and were severely damaged. The United States Congress offered assistance to not just San Francisco, but to all areas that suffered damage from the earthquake. In addition to food and water, medical equipment, tents, and even money to pay for the reconstruction of public buildings were allocated and disbursed among the victims. Some of the assistance like food and water arrived at the victims as soon as it was possible. Other supplies would end up arriving weeks