A series of quakes around magnitude 7 on the San Andreas Fault but we’re pretty safe it seems as they were centred 100s km from where we are - and San Francisco is not on the San Andreas Fault. But still we experienced a tiny thrill of fear and excitement. Walking down to the bus which would deposit us at our east-bound train this morning we passed a construction site where workers were being given an earthquake drill. Brought the awful, raw power of the earth home to us in a very immediate sense.
Perched on the eastern rim of the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes are not something new to San Francisco area. Since the 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake (magnitude 7.8) which liquified many blocks of houses south of Market, there have been seven with magnitudes over 5.1. That biggie in 1906 destroyed over 80% of San Francisco, up to 3000 people died and fires raged for many days. The buildings on one side of Van Ness (the street) were deliberately demolished to act as a fire break - it worked. It was one of the deadliest earthquake in the history of the US.
The city also has a horrendous history of fires. Remember the fire scene in ‘Gone with the Wind’? That was set around the time of some of the greatest fires in San Francisco history. The Coit Memorial Tower in the Telegraph Hill neighbourhood was dedicated to the volunteer firemen who died in San Francisco's five major fires of the mid 1800s.
Today the city is still extremely fire-shy and there’s evidence of that everywhere.
After the devastating fires around the 1850s all buildings had to have Standpipes to facilitate delivering water in case of fires. Some are quite elaborate.
So many building have external fire escapes.
Even on the water the Fire Department is very visible.
A fire hydrant on the waters edge!
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