Overview of Field Surveys conceming Tsunami Fire in the Great East-Japan Earthquake

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss a spreading frres in the Great East-Japan Earthquake. In the Great East-Japan Earthquake, many serious spreading fires happened in the Tohoku and Kanto district. According to the report of Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 284 fires happened in the Great East-Japan Earthquake. In Urban area on the Sanriku Coast, many large spreading fires were caused by Tsunami. We call it Tsunami Fire. Characteristics of these frres differ greatly among regions. Typical frres that occurred in the Sanriku coastal region arose from a lot of combustible materials, such as houses and vehicles， which were destroyed and swept away by the tsunami waves toward a mountain, caught fire from a source of frre (domestic and other various fuels) drifted there, and spread into town areas and forests. On the other hand, in plain areas where the population and industries were concentrated, a small number of fuels, such as household gas cylinders and vehicles scattered about the town, joined together into a mass of combustible materials, which are estirnated to have made a great contribution to potential outbreak or spread of fires. In any region, it is estimated that tsunami fires were caused by a combination of various potential factors such as an electric leakage, a short circuit, and sparks from a crash.