Gourt > Society > History > By Topic > Disasters > Fires
Fire is a phenomenon of combustion manifested in intense heat and light in the form of a glow or flames. The word fire when used with an indefinite article is commonly used to describe either a fuel in a state of combustion (such as a campfire or a fire in a fireplace or kitchen stove) or an instance of violent, destructive and uncontrolled burning (such as a wildfire and fires in buildings and vehicles.
Creation of fire
Fire is not a state of matter: rather, it is an exothermic chemical reaction accompanied by intense heat released during a rapid oxidation of combustible material. Fire may be visible as the brilliant glow and flames and may produce smoke.
Fires start when a flammable or combustible material with adequate supply of oxygen or other oxidizer is subjected to enough heat. The common fire-causing sources of heat include a spark, another fire (such as an explosion, a fire in the oven or fireplace, or a lit match, lighter or cigarette) and sources of intense thermal radiation (such as sunlight, a flue, an incandescent light bulb or a radiant heater). Mechanical and electrical machinery may cause fire when combustible materials used on or located near the equipment are exposed to intense heat from Joule heating, friction or exhaust gas. Fires can sustain themselves by the further release of heat energy in the process of combustion and may propagate, provided there is continuous supply of oxygen and fuel. Fires may become uncontrolled and cause great damage to and destruction of human life, animals, plants and property.
More on [ Fire ]
Cairo-Luxor, Egypt Train Fire 2002@
Centralia Mine Fire@
Chicago Fire 1871@
San Francisco Earthquake and Fire 1906@
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911@
Fire Fighting :: Emergency Services
Wildfires :: Natural Disasters and Hazards
RT @leftfootfwd: Fired! Government gives disgraced A4e the boot: http://t.co/ZFxivAP0 by @ShamikDas #A4e #workfare
shamikdas (Shamik Das) Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:39 -0000
RT @leftfootfwd: Fired! Government gives disgraced A4e the boot: http://t.co/ZFxivAP0 by @ShamikDas #A4e #workfare
RT @sewepusoxefa: From our first meeting, burned with fires it had never before known; but.
fifijaxavah (vanwyk) Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:22 -0000
RT @sewepusoxefa: From our first meeting, burned with fires it had never before known; but.
Rep. Peter King (NY) Fires Back at CNN Host: ' There is no profiling,that's the nonsense that people like you are pp... http://t.co/h0ysSlKp
johnnyangel10 (JohnnyAngel Advocacy) Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:11 -0000
Rep. Peter King (NY) Fires Back at CNN Host: ' There is no profiling,that's the nonsense that people like you are pp... http://t.co/h0ysSlKp
2 overnight fires being investigated: Chicago police and firefighters returned to a vacant Burnside... http://t.co/GhPmbnCv #Chicago #News
Chicago_IL_News (Chicago News) Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:09 -0000
2 overnight fires being investigated: Chicago police and firefighters returned to a vacant Burnside... http://t.co/GhPmbnCv #Chicago #News
Camp-fires gleamed upon the plain, and in the glow of each there.
leqyjixarys (rhoderick) Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:07 -0000
Camp-fires gleamed upon the plain, and in the glow of each there.
2 overnight fires being investigated: Chicago police and firefighters returned to a vacant Burnside neighborhood... http://t.co/kMYlXHsD
WestLoopChiNews (West Loop Chicago) Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:05 -0000
2 overnight fires being investigated: Chicago police and firefighters returned to a vacant Burnside neighborhood... http://t.co/kMYlXHsD
Arise and Build: The Great Fire and its Aftermath - Primary sources, including accounts, editorials, and photographs, of the October 27, 1895 fire which destroyed the University of Virginia.
Fire and Explosion - Descriptions, photos, and dates of some of the worst fires of the past, grouped by type.
Fires and Explosions - List of dates, places, and death tolls of some of history's worst fires.
Our Lady of the Angels School Fire, December 1, 1958, Chicago, IL - On December 1, 1958, Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago caught fire, killing 92 children and 3 nuns. Contains photos and information about this tragic fire, its victims and survivors.
Meta Description: [ Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, a Catholic school, caught fire and burned furiously on December 1, 1958, resulting in the tragic death of 92 children and three nuns. This site is dedicated to their memory. ]
