First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to everyone affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. I sincerely pray for your safety and the swift recovery of the affected areas.
I am pleased to announce the publication of a joint research paper I co-authored, titled "Building Damage Survey and Analysis of Firebreak Situations for Post-Earthquake Fire Near Asaichi Street, Wajima City, After the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake," in the Journal of Japan Society for Natural Disaster Science. This research is the result of a collaborative effort with Dr. U Hiroi (The University of Tokyo), Dr. Akihiko Hokugo (Kobe University), Dr. Nobuhito Ohtsu (National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster), and other distinguished colleagues.
This paper reports the results of investigations into the massive post-earthquake fire that occurred near Asaichi-dori in Kawai-cho, Wajima City, following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Our field survey revealed extensive damage, with 249 buildings totally burned down and 7 partially burned, covering an estimated area of about 52,000 square meters. Focusing specifically on the buildings, we created a detailed database of both burned and unburned structures. By combining this data with information from public agencies, we outlined the complete picture of the fire, including the outbreak, spread, and firefighting activities. Furthermore, we successfully identified and extracted various "firebreak conditions"—such as road width, open spaces, building fire resistance, and firefighting efforts—categorized into six different patterns where the fire's spread was halted.
We hope this study will serve as valuable foundational data for future urban planning and post-earthquake fire countermeasures.
You can read the full paper (in Japanese) at the link below.
