Page 56 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

Historic hot spot Burning embers from a baker’s oven started the infamous Great Fire of London in 1666. This furious fire destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, and Saint Paul’s Cathedral, as well as forcing 100,000 people to flee their homes. Thankfully, the loss of human life was minimal. The rats weren’t so lucky, though: masses of plague-carrying rats perished in the blaze, happily ridding London of the deadly dise

Watch the gas Smoke and toxic gases from fires kill more people than burns. The flammable gases given off by burning furniture can suddenly explode—with enough force to blow someone off their feet. Known as a “backdraft,” this explosion is caused by oxygen-starved fiery gases being fed air through the opening of a door or window. The particles in clouds of trapped smoke can also ignite, causing a frazzling a

Wildfires These forest fires usually start without warning and spread with lightning speed. Air around the fire warms and rises, creating winds that fan the flames, feeding them more oxygen. Giant fires called “gobblers” burn everything in their path, and a sudden shift in the wind can blow the fires in a different direction. The unpredicatable nature of forest fires means that people can find themselves trapped unexpectedly, their escape route blocke

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