Fires, on most cases, are considered as highly negative events that plague mankind. These destructive incidents bring about great sorrow mercilessly claiming innocent lives and leaving the rest in desperate, homeless plights.
Many factors contribute in the onset of this calamity and many of them are manmadeNatural fires also take place; these disasters are contributed by the interplay of the elements—the wind and the fire.
On a brighter aspect, fires do inspire humankind to strive harder. Some of the greatest cities at present rose after the ravage of fires. Here are some of the greatest fires in history:
The Great Fire of Rome
In 64 AD a great fire broke and swept through 10 out of 14 states of Rome. Though unfounded, rumors have pointed out Nero as its instigator; accordingly, this was done to give way to the construction of his grand palace—the Domus Aurea.
The Four Great Fires in Constantinople
The Orthodox citadel of the East fell into the hands of the Crusaders after the ravage of the four great fires in its capital, Constantinople. This turn of events, though a great source of shame from the West, ended the schism between the two Christian sects.
Moscow Fire
This catastrophic event led to the uprising of the displaced mob against the newly-crowned Tsar, Ivan the Terrible and his family. The 80,000 homeless people blamed the Tsar’s grandmother for using witchcraft to start the fire and stoned some of his relatives to death.
The Great Fire of London
The 1660s blaze in the British capital started from a bakery. Due to an inordinate urban sprawl of wooden houses, the flames quickly spread out to the rest of the city smoldering down 90% of the homes and left 70,000 destitute. Consequently, England faced a tremendous economic and social breakdown at this time.
Furisode Fire
This calamity in the 1660s annihilated 70% of Japan’s former capital, Edo. The conflagration spread through houses that were built primarily on wood and paper and the fire-brigade at that time is not equipped and skilled to resist it.
Big Blowup in 1910
This is one of the most extensive wildfires in history which coursed through Washington, Idaho and Montana. Due to the extremely dry weather that wilted down vegetation, little hot cinders from locomotives easily escalated into an inferno. Some towns were burned to the ground or were completely deserted because of this.
Halifax Explosion
The collision between the explosives-loaded SS Mont Blanc and SS Imo resulted into over 9000 casualties and the obliteration of the commercial structures in Halifax. So great was the explosion that a tsunami was created afterwards. Hence, this is considered as “world’s largest man-made accidental explosion”.
The Changsa Fire
Also known as the Wenxi Fire, this is dubbed as the largest city-wide blaze in the history of China. The military leader, Chiang Kai Sek passed the idea of intentionally burning down the metropolitan to prevent Japanese invasion. The devastation that incurred this Chinese conurbation was akin to that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Dresden Bombing
Still remaining as one of the most controversial among the Allied Air Raids, this German city was fiercely attacked during the eventful days of February 1945. Bodies of the dead piled all over as explosion after explosion followed; and planes of the RAAF were relentlessly dropping down bombs. The death toll rose up to more than 22,000.
Atomic Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
When atomic bombs “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it wiped off structures within 1.6km radius from the Shima Surgical Clinic where it detonated directly. About 80,000 or 60% residents were eradicated immediately, 30% from falling debris while the other 10% from other reasons.
This act of is military act is then by far one of the most debated topics in History and Ethics. Many historians now argue the necessity of such action. Was it really an act of Necessary Evil?
