Great Oulu Fire of 1882
Encyclopedia
The Great Oulu Fire of 1882 was a conflagration
that started in the basement of the pharmacy
on the corner of Kirkkokatu and Pakkahuoneenkatu on the evening of November 2, destroying 27 buildings along Hallituskatu and Pakkahuoneenkatu in downtown Oulu
, Finland
, amongst them the city-owned Seurahuone. The basement was used to store gasoline
and other flammable materials
, which led to the fire quickly raging out of control. It headed towards the Oulu River and destroyed the salt and grain warehouses along its shoreline. The fire brigade, however, managed to keep the fire from spreading to the packhouse.
Conflagration
A conflagration or a blaze is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, or property. A conflagration can be accidentally begun, naturally caused , or intentionally created . Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage or diversion, and also can be the consequence of...
that started in the basement of the pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
on the corner of Kirkkokatu and Pakkahuoneenkatu on the evening of November 2, destroying 27 buildings along Hallituskatu and Pakkahuoneenkatu in downtown Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, amongst them the city-owned Seurahuone. The basement was used to store gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and other flammable materials
Flammability
Flammability is defined as how easily something will burn or ignite, causing fire or combustion. The degree of difficulty required to cause the combustion of a substance is quantified through fire testing. Internationally, a variety of test protocols exist to quantify flammability...
, which led to the fire quickly raging out of control. It headed towards the Oulu River and destroyed the salt and grain warehouses along its shoreline. The fire brigade, however, managed to keep the fire from spreading to the packhouse.