- Author
-
Scawthorn, C.
|
Donelan, J.
- Title
- Fire-Related Aspects of the Coalinga Earthquake.
- Coporate
- Dames and Moore, CA
Coalinga Fire Dept., CA
- Report
-
Report 84-03
January 1984
- Book or Conf
- Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Coalinga, Califnornia, Earthquake of May 2, 1993. Reconnaissance Report. 1983,
273-275 p.,
['1983', '1984']
- Keywords
-
earthquakes
|
fire fighting
|
fire fighters
|
postearthquake fires
- Identifiers
- Coalinga, California earthquake, May 2, 1983
- Abstract
- This chapter discusses the fires and related aspects of the Coalinga earthquake of May 2, 1983. First reports from coalinga indicated that fires caused by the earthquake were of conflagration proportions. Television news bulletins in San Francisco the evening of May 2 reported fires with "flames 40 and 50 ft in the air," a sight resembling "Tokyo in the great firebombing." The San Francisco Chronicle of May 3 reported "nearby oil pipelines ablaze...buildings burst into flame." These reports greatly exaggerated the fire-related events of May 2. Nevertheless, events of the day contain valuable lessons with respect to the postearthquake fire problem that may be of importance in a similar or larger earthquake in a large metropolitan area. This chapter presents a narrative of fire-related events of the Coalings earthquake, followed by a discussion of important observations and issued.