A conflagration is a large

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames ...

. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A conflagration can begin accidentally, be naturally caused (

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

), or intentionally created (

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wate ...

). A very large fire can produce a firestorm, in which the central column of rising heated air induces strong inward winds, which supply

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements ...

to the fire. Conflagrations can cause casualties including deaths or injuries from burns,

trauma Trauma most often refers to: *Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source *Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic inju ...

due to collapse of structures and attempts to escape, and smoke inhalation.

Firefighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typically ...

is the practice of extinguishing a conflagration, protecting life and property and minimizing damage and injury. One of the goals of

fire prevention Fire prevention is a function of many fire departments. The goal of fire prevention is to educate the public on the precautions which should be taken to prevent potentially harmful fires and how to survive these fires in the event that they do o ...

is to avoid conflagrations. When a conflagration is extinguished, there is often a fire investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Alberi bruciati sopra ritagli di lecca

Causes and types

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. Sometimes, the influx is so intense that the fire grows into a firestorm. Inside a building, the intensity of gas exchange depends on the size and location of openings in walls and floors, the ceiling height, and the amount and characteristics of the combustible materials.

Types

*Industrial conflagrations include fires at

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, li ...

, such as the 2009 Cataño oil refinery fire. *One or several fire(s) in

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s or other wilderness areas, i.e. wildfire(s), may grow up into or unite to a conflagration. *An urban conflagration is defined as a "large, destructive fire that spreads beyond natural or artificial barriers; it can be expected to result in large monetary loss and may or may not include fatalities. An urban conflagration moves beyond a block and destroys whole sections of a city." Notable examples includes the Great Fire of Tartu in 1775, the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, and the Great Fire of Hamburg in 1842. The Camp Fire in Paradise, California in 2018 burned 18,000 structures and killed 85 people. *In some ships, a large uncontained fire may quickly lead to a ship conflagration. *The conflagration of a building is known as a structure fire.

Notable examples

References

External links

Conflagration on map
(AccidentMap.com Accident on map) {{Authority control Combustion Fire Firefighting Types of fire

Causes and types

Types

Notable examples

See also

References

External links