Conflagration

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Conflagration

Conflagration is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, property or ecology. A conflagration can be accidental or intentionally created (arson

Arson

Arson is the crime of deliberately and maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires caused by lightning for example....
). Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage, diversion, and also they can be the consequence of pyromania

Pyromania

Pyromania, a type of mania, is an impulse to deliberately start fires to relieve tension and typically includes feelings of gratification or relief afterward....
.

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Encyclopedia

Conflagration is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, property or ecology. A conflagration can be accidental or intentionally created (arson

Arson

Pyromania

Pyromania, a type of mania, is an impulse to deliberately start fires to relieve tension and typically includes feelings of gratification or relief afterward....
. During conflagration the property is destroyed by fire

Fire

Fire is the oxidation of a combustion material releasing heat, light, and various Chemical reaction products such as carbon dioxide and water....
. Sometimes the conflagration produces the firestorm

Firestorm

A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires....
, in which the central column of rising heated air induces strong inward winds, which supply oxygen

Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
to the fire.

Definitions

a destructive fire, usually an extensive one

a very intense and uncontrolled fire

a large disastrous fire

a large destructive fire

The causes and types of conflagration

The most common causes of conflagration are: careless handling of fire, the nonobservance of the operating instructions of production equipment, spontaneous combustion of substances and materials, the discharges of static electricity, lightning, arson . Depending on an occurrence place we can distinguish: vehicles conflagration; steppe and field conflagrations; underground conflagrations in mines; peat and forest conflagrations; conflagrations in buildings and constructions.

The space covered by conflagration, is usually divided into 3 zones - the active fire

Fire

Fire is the oxidation of a combustion material releasing heat, light, and various Chemical reaction products such as carbon dioxide and water....
zone, the heat

Heat

In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
zone and the smoke

Smoke

File:Bling-Bling Skywriting David Shankbone.jpgSmoke is the collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrainment or otherwise mixed into the mass....
zone. External signs of a zone of the active fire are the presence of flame and the smouldering or hot materials. The main characteristic of the ravages of fire temperature is developed during combustion. For residential houses and public buildings indoor temperature

Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
reaches 800–900 °C. Typically, the highest temperatures occur during outdoor fires and the average for combustible gases 1200–1350 °C, for liquids 1100–1300 °C, for solids 1000–1250 °C. When burning thermite

Thermite

Thermite is a pyrotechnic composition of a metal powder and a metal oxide, which produces an aluminothermic reaction known as a thermite reaction....
, elektron

Elektron (alloy)

Elektron is the registered trademark of Magnesium Elektron Limited for a range of magnesium alloys. The alloys include varying amounts of zirconium, thorium, zinc, or Rare earth element metals....
, magnesium

Magnesium

Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, atomic weight 24.3050 and common oxidation number +2.Magnesium, an alkaline earth metal, is the ninth most abundance of the chemical elements in the universe by mass....
the maximal temperature reaches 2000–3000 °C.

The space around the burning zone, where temperatures reached as a result of heat transfer values, causing destructive impact on the surrounding objects and dangerous for humans, called the zone of heat. Adopted take that into a zone of heat, burning the surrounding area, includes land, the temperature at which the mixture of air and gaseous products of combustion of not less than 60-80 °C. During a conflagration a significant movement of air and combustion products occurs. Hot gaseous products of combustion move upward, causing the influx of more dense cold air to the combustion zone. Inside the building the intensity of gas exchange depends on the size and location of openings in walls and floors, the height of the premises, and the number and burning properties of materials. The direction of traffic hot product and usually determines the probable spread of the fire path, as well as powerful back heat flows can move sparks, burning coals and lead to considerable distance, creating new hotbeds of burning. Products of a fire combustion (smoke) form a smoke zone. The composition of smoke usually consists of nitrogen

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere....
, oxygen

Oxygen

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless and odorless, tasteless, yet highly toxic gas. Its molecules consist of one carbon atom covalent bond to one oxygen atom....
, carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
, water vapor as well as ash and other substances. Many products of incomplete and complete combustion

Combustion

Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat or both heat and light in the form of either a glow or flames, appearance of light flickering....
, which are parts of the smoke, have high toxicity, the products generated during combustion of polymers are especially toxic. In some cases, products of incomplete combustion, such as carbon monoxide, may form with oxygen combustible and explosive mixtures.

The most famous conflagrations

Place	Date	Conflagration	Size
Rome Rome Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....	64	Great Fire of Rome Great Fire of Rome According to the historian Tacitus, the Great Fire of Rome started on the night of 18 July in the year 64 CE, among the shops clustered around the Circus Maximus....
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital and the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest European cities and metropolitan areas, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world....	1547
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital and the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest European cities and metropolitan areas, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world....	1571
London London London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....	1666	Great Fire of London Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London, England, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666....	13000 houses and 87 churches are destroyed.
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital and the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest European cities and metropolitan areas, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world....	1812	Fire of Moscow (1812) Fire of Moscow (1812) The 1812 Fire of Moscow broke out on September 14, 1812 in Moscow on the day when Russian troops and most residents abandoned the city and Napoleon Bonaparte's vanguard troops Napoleon's invasion of Russia following the Battle of Borodino.... occurred after Napoleon captured the city.
Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany , and is the Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits. The city is home to approximately 1.8 million people, while the Hamburg metropolitan area has more than 4.3 million inhabitants....	1842	Great Fire of Hamburg	The quarter of city territory is devastated.
Santiago, Chile	1863	Fire of the Jesuit Church	At least 2,000 victims
Atlanta	1864	Atlanta Campaign Atlanta Campaign The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War.... during American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States.... . Occurred after General Sherman captured the city.	More than 4,000 houses, including dwellings, shops, stores, mills and depots are burned, about eleven-twelfths of the city. Only about 450 buildings escaped this ruthless burning.
Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....	1871	Great Chicago Fire Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Chicago, Illinois....	From 200 to 300 victims, 17000 buildings are destroyed
San Francisco	1906	Result of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake 1906 San Francisco earthquake The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, California and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 A.M....	At least 700 victims
Barnaul Barnaul Barnaul is a types of inhabited localities in Russia and the administrative center of Altai Krai, Russia. Barnaul is situated in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District on the Ob River....	1917	Uncontrollable fire	34 victims, 60 quarters destoyed.
Stalingrad	1942	The result of an air bombardment	More than 40000 victims and 60000 wounded men, a half of city was destroyed, the fire produced a firestorm Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires....
Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany , and is the Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits. The city is home to approximately 1.8 million people, while the Hamburg metropolitan area has more than 4.3 million inhabitants....	1943	The result of an air bombardment	35000—45000 victims, the centre of the city was destroyed.
Dresden Dresden Dresden is the capital city of the Germany Federal Free state of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon triangle metropolitan area....	1945	The result of bombing of Dresden in World War II Bombing of Dresden in World War II The Bombing of Dresden by the British Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force between 13 February and 15 February 1945, 12 weeks before the German Instrument of Surrender of the Armed Forces of Nazi Germany, remains one of the most controversial Allied actions of the World War II....	25000—40000 victims, the centre of the city was destroyed. The fire produced a firestorm Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires....
Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....	1967	A conflagration in the Innovation Department store L'Innovation Department Store Fire The L'Innovation Department Store Fire took place on May 22, 1967 in Brussels, Belgium, and killed 322 people, many of them women and children. The tragedy was a source of Cold War controversy since it came during a period that included anti-American protests from communist supporters....	323 victims, 150 wounded
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital and the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest European cities and metropolitan areas, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world....	1977	A conflagration in the Russia Hotel	42 victims
Bradford Bradford Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield....	1985	Bradford City stadium fire	52 victims
Asunción Asunción Asunci?n , population 1,212,112 , is the Capital and largest city of Paraguay. The "Ciudad de Asunci?n" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department....	2004	Ycuá Bolaños supermarket fire Paraguay supermarket fire The Paraguay supermarket fire was a disastrous structure fire that occurred on Sunday, August 1, 2004 in Asunci?n, Paraguay. The three-story Ycu? Bola?os 5 supermarket and commercial complex, which included a restaurant, offices, and an underground parking garage, caught fire, causing two explosions on the first floor....	374 victims, 500 wounded
Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....	2007	2007 Greek forest fires 2007 Greek forest fires The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive wildfires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on August 23, expanded rapidly and raged out of control until August 27, until they were put out in early September....	84 victims
Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....	2009	2009 Victorian bushfires	209 victims, 500 wounded

External links

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