The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906

On the morning of April 18, 1906, the city of San Francisco was shaken to the very core by a phenomenally strong earthquake. It reduced many buildings to rubble and the fire caused by the ruptured gas lines continued to destroy the city for three days after the quake.

The 1906 earthquake would measure 8.25, on the modern Richter scale. It was substantially more powerful than the 1989 quake that rocked the city at 6.7 on the scale. It struck at 5:15 am, when many of the city’s residents were asleep in their beds. The violent shaking threatened to swallow the whole city. It crippled the city’s transportation, communication, power, sewer, and water systems, thus leading to fires breaking out all over San Francisco.

The fires resulting from the ruptured gas lines soon engulfed this Northern Californian town in flames. Government buildings, hotels, schools, offices all burned to their complete destruction and all that was left of them was the charred remains. The Fairmont Hotel, which had been just constructed, was totally destroyed in the fire before it could start business.

Nearly 490 city blocks were completely destroyed by the earthquake and the fire. The city was totally ruined and the helpless citizens struggled to find family members, neighbors, and friends who were lost in the rubble. Doctors and nurses worked day and night to take care of the wounded in damaged hospitals without power and facing shortages of critical medications, bandages, and other tools.

The estimation of the damage caused by these twin disasters could take place after the firefighters and the common citizens worked together to douse the flames engulfing the city. 25,000 buildings were completely destroyed, with twice that number structurally damages and requiring great deal of time and money to reconstruct. The damages were a whopping $350,000,000, astounding considering the value of the dollar at that time. The time to rebuild the city was prolonged and painful, and many owners and businessman unwilling to relocate to safer areas.

Over 250,000 men, women, and children were left homeless after the phenomenally destruction earthquake and fires. The true human spirit was shown during these bleak times for San Francisco, as citizens banded together to welcome friends, family members, neighbors, and even strangers into buildings that were not destroyed during the devastation. The San Franciscans quickly began the rebuilding process, even creating shelters for those left out in the cold.

Tragically, between 450 and 700 individuals were killed in that three day period. Horror stories emerged as the days went on, with men, women, and children recounting the terrible sights of humans burning alive in the streets. Entire families were killed, and a substantial number of children were left orphans due to the disasters. Again, the city banded together and worked as one to help the survivors.

The great earthquake and fire of 1906 will forever be etched in the memory and history of San Francisco. This event shaped the city’s mindset and will certainly never be forgotten.

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Penelope Banchit is the owner and operator of F san francisco, the web's premier resource for information about san francisco, For more articles on san francisco visit: www.allofsanfrancisco.com/articles
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