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Firefighting around the world |
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Philip Mason provides a roundup of major activity and incidents tackled by firefighters around the globe
BOSNIA
Bosnian Orphanage Tragedy
A fire in an orphanage in Bosnia killed five babies and injured 17 others on 22 April. According to authorities, the blaze broke out on the third floor of the Ljubica Ivezix facility in Sarajevo, before spreading to rooms where the babies slept. A nurse who attempted to save the children was also injured, reportedly suffering burns to her hands and face.
Bosnian fire and rescue services were called to the incident shortly after the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning. A spokesman for the firefighters said that the fire spread through the building at such a speed that even though the blaze was extinguished quite quickly, it still was not fast enough to avoid the deaths of the five children. After the fire had been dealt with, some of the children that had been evacuated were returned to parts of the building that had not been affected by it. Twenty-three children were rescued from the three fire-damaged rooms, which, according to eye witnesses were strewn with charred cradles and teddy bears. At the time of writing, the cause of the fire has not been determined, and an investigation has been launched.
USA
Fires Devastate Carolina Condos
Twelve homes were destroyed in a large fire that devastated a condominium complex in North Carolina USA on April 29. No injuries were reported following the incident, even though the buildings were occupied at the time.
The fire broke out at the complex at Shutters-on-the-Shore in the afternoon, with fire and rescue services from several nearby locations mobilised just after 1615. According to a local fire marshal, the fire had taken a strong hold by the time fire and rescue services arrived, and hazards were numerous. A major obstacle to the rescue operation, he said, was the wind, which was blowing hard off of the ocean directly into the faces of the firefighters. The fire was contained by 2200, although firefighters remained afterwards to douse the structure. As yet, the cause of the fire is unknown.
California Wildfires
The worst wildfires in the area in the past 50 years caused chaos in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles in May, desolating parkland and other public spaces. The centre of the incident was the famous Griffith Park, which had to be evacuated, along with a nearby Hollywood Hills neighbourhood.
The wildfires began on Tuesday May 8, just east of the landmark Hollywood sign, eventually ravaging approximately 820 acres of land. It was brought under control by firefighters during a lull in the hot winds that accompanied the fire, and contained over the course of the rest of the week. According to sources, firefighters were using balconies to douse the fire and at-risk terrain situated at the back of the houses of those who had been evacuated. Southern California is currently going through its driest spring for very many years. Following the events of May 8, State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order to increase number of people available to tackle similar situations that may arise over the course of the summer.
TURKEY
Istanbul Building Collapse
Fire and rescue workers were called when an eight-storey building collapsed in Istanbul on April 26. The apartment block – along with two other buildings nearby – was evacuated prior to the collapse when a ‘cracking’ sound was heard. While attending the scene, rescue workers pulled an injured girl from the rubble, and as of time of writing, no other injuries or casualties have been discovered.
Turkey has a history of building collapse, with this year alone not only witnessing April’s incident in Istanbul, but also a similar incident in the same city in February, which killed two people and injured 26 others. A recurrent problem for both fire and rescue services and builders in Turkey is earthquakes. The summer of 1999 saw what became known as the lzmit earthquake, a 7.4 magnitude event which hit the northwest of the country and lasted for around 50 seconds. According to official figures, the catastrophe killed 17,480, injured a further 23,983 and made over half a million people homeless.
JAPAN
Japan Suffers Earthquake and Aftershocks
Fire and rescue services were mobilised alongside the police and Self-Defence Forces when powerful earthquakes and aftershocks hit central Japan on March 24 and 25. The initial, 7.1 magnitude, shock resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 200 more, while effects of the quake on the country’s infrastructure included landslides, building collapse, and power failures, affecting hundreds of households in the region. The series of smaller seismic events that followed – which affected primarily the western coast of the country – measured up to 5.1. According to authorities, the single casualty was a 52 year old woman who had been buried under a lantern made of stone that had collapsed while she was in her garden. Figures released indicate that more than 2,500 people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters. Following the initial tremor, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the Sea of Japan where the quake had originated. Waves measuring up to 0.2 metres were spotted in the late morning, but the warning was lifted soon after.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In recent history, a 6.8 magnitude quake killed 65 people and injured 3,000 more when it hit northern Japan in October of 2004. Yet more catastrophic was the earthquake that hit the city of Kobe in 1995. Known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, it measured up to 7.3 on the Richter Scale, and killed approximately 6,500 people.
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