The Great Earthquake And Fire That Crippled San Francisco

JAKARTA - A devastating earthquake measuring nearly 8.0 on the Richter scale hit San Francisco, California, United States (US) on April 18, 1906, at 5.13 am. About 3 thousand people died as a result of collapsing buildings.

Launching History, April 18, the earthquake was caused by the displacement of a fault in San Andreas on a section of about 275 miles. The tremors caused by the displacement of the fault can be felt from southern Oregon to Los Angeles

At that time the buildings in San Francisco were made of brick and wood in the Victorian era. As a result, many buildings collapsed easily due to the building materials that were not too sturdy. In addition, the earthquake caused a fire which lasted for 3 days.

The duration of the fire was due to the difficulty of the firefighting team in the fire fighting process. The officers found it difficult to get water because many water pipes were broken and leaked due to the shocks of the earthquake. The US Army also decided to create a team tasked with deterring the looting, because many residents decided to live in refugee camps because their homes collapsed. Troops were allowed to shoot dead people caught looting.

During fires, occasional aftershocks also occur. Meanwhile, in the face of significant aftershocks, US firefighters and military forces struggled to control the flames. On April 20, 20,000 refugees caught in a huge fire were evacuated from Van Ness Avenue to USS Chicago.

Three days later, most of the fires had been extinguished and authorities began work to rebuild the devastated metropolis. Nearly 30 thousand buildings were destroyed, including residential housing and the central business district.

On the other hand, the earthquake and fire made the government and architects even more mature in the construction of the buildings they were going to build. In 1915, the architects and engineers managed to restore the city to its original state.

The architects also designed new buildings for the city's exhibitions. Many buildings are also made earthquake resistant, in case a similar disaster occurs in the future. Fire preparation in various areas of the city is also better prepared and strengthened so that if there is a fire, the officers will no longer have trouble finding water sources as in the 1906 incident.