Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Fires following earthquakes have caused the largest single losses due to earthquakes in the United States and Japan. The problem is very seriously regarded in Japan, but not very seriously considered in the US or other earthquake-prone countries. Yet, the potential for future conflagrations following earthquakes is substantial. Earthquakes in the US in 1983 and 1984 have recently highlighted this problem. The scenario for post earthquake fire must consider structural and non-structural damage, initial and spreading fires, wind, building density, water supply functionality and emergency response. Each of these factors is reviewed in this paper, and an analytical model and preliminary results for San Francisco, California are presented.