SPA’s Charles Scawthorn gave an invited talk at NIST in January 2016 on the topic of fire following earthquake. Dr. Scawthorn’s talk emphasized the following points: Fire following earthquake is a significant problem in the seismic portions of the US, particularly in urban regions such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is potentially the largest source of loss in a major earthquake, and is a major driver for emergency responders, water agencies and catastrophe insurers. Approximately 1,600 ignitions are expected in greater Los Angeles following a major earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault, and a comparably large number of ignitions following a major earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area. This and related work have identified major needs related to water distribution systems, to which a number of water agencies are now responding.
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