Earthquakes and fires
During the last century, earthquakes have thrown down a challenge to rescuers worldwide. Adi Moncaz has garnered examples of best practice on ways to plan against, prevent and fight post-quake conflagrations.
This article explains that during the last century, earthquakes have thrown down a challenge to rescuers, that of responding to simultaneous multiple fires, concomitant with mass destruction of transportation and other infrastructural damage, as well as reduced or destroyed water supplies.
Destruction and damage to fire stations and appliances, along with death and injury to firefighters themselves, can further restrict the capability of Fire Services to render the scope and level of response provided during routine emergencies.
Much of the information learnt on the involvement of fires in earthquakes has been studied following some of the major earthquakes that took place last century.
Photo courtesy Tokyo Fire Brigade
The full text appears in Volume 2 Issue 3 of the Crisis Response Journal.
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