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1938 Changsha Fire/Wenxi Fire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia- Greatest human caused city-wide fire that ever besieged China
- Happened in 1938 during the second Sino-Japanese War
- Result in Changsa being one of the most damaged cities during World War II
- Chinese and Japanese armies faced off along the Xinqiang River just outside of Changsha
- Due to lack of confidence of withholding the city, Chiang Kai-Shek decided to burn the entire city
- Reasoned that with the city burned to the ground, Japan would gain nothing even if it chose to forcefully enter it
- Immediately organized an arson team and was ordered to set fire once a signal fire was set off on the top of Tianxin Building in the Southwest of Changsa
At around 2 o'clock in the morning of November 13, 1938, there was a fire in a military hospital just outside of the South Gate (to this day, it remains a mystery whether the fire was a signal or an accident). The arson team took it as a signal and started to set the fire. The burning lasted for five days. At the end of it, historical antiques more than 2500 years old suddenly became ashes. City residents tried their best to escape, resulting in a severe boat accident at a river ford on the Xiang River.
DAMAGE DONE :
- More than 3000 people lost their lives during the fire
- Over 90% or 56 000 of the buildings were burned
- Cost a total economic loss of 1 billion dollars, which account to 43% of the total output of the city
- Government institutions were destroyed
- More than 31 schools including the University of Human were also burned down
- Except for the Xiangya Hospital, every hospital in Changsha was burned to ground
The fire, however, annihilated all the cultural accumulations that the city retains since the Spring And Autumn period. Ground historical treasures were completely wiped out, causing an immeasurable damage to archaeological studies.
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