Great Fire Research Articles

The impact of wildfire smoke exposure on excess mortality and later-life socioeconomic outcomes: the Great Fire of 1910

AbstractThe Great Fire of 1910 in the northwestern United States burnt more than 1.2 million hectares in just two days and stands as one of the largest wildfires ever recorded. While it is known for having led to the introduction of a rigorous fire suppression regime that lasted for much of the twentieth century, it also generated a considerable amount of smoke far beyond the burnt areas that is likely to have impacted the health of those exposed. This paper examines the short- and long-term impact of this fire-sourced smoke pollution on children, combining historical data with smoke emission and dispersion modelling. The econometric results indicate a 119% increase in excess mortality during the week of the fire and a decrease of 4–14% in later-life socioeconomic status scores 20 and 30 years after the event. This research offers novel insights into wildfire smoke repercussions on health and long-run human capital formation in a setting where avoidance behaviour was minimal.

Enhancing Historical Extended Reality Experiences: Prompt Engineering Strategies for AI-Generated Dialogue

Extended reality offers unique ways to create mediated spaces that enhance and help popularize experiences across several domains, including entertainment, creativity, and culture. There are still issues that hinder the widespread adoption of the medium, such as the over-reliance on scripted sequences, generalized approaches, and curated asset production. Artificial intelligence can be used to, in part, alleviate these issues, but this comes with its own set of challenges, such as factual inaccuracy or hallucinations. We delve into prompt engineering methods for the GPT API, enhancing context understanding to enable more realistic performances in historical event recreations. Specifically, we experiment with the Great Fire of Smyrna in 1922 as our historical context, situating the AI agent in the middle of chaos as a resident that has been affected by the event. Our experiments demonstrate that refined prompt engineering techniques significantly reduce factual inaccuracies and enhance the emotional resonance of AI-generated dialogues, which can lead to more immersive and engaging XR experiences. Our experiments indicate that AI can effectively support historical recreations by providing dynamic and contextually appropriate interactions.

Shift from Traditional to Modern Building Concepts and Designs in Ringim Town: A Comparative Study of Aesthetics, Values, Functions and Durability

This study is part of an Undergraduate Project for the award of “B.Tech (Hons) Building Technology Education” at the “Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University”, Bauchi State, Nigeria, and is aimed to identify the contrasts between Traditional and Modern Buildings in Ringim Town, Jigawa State, Northern Nigeria, with respect to their “Purposes, Durability, Aesthetics and Values. The study's subjects were the residents of Ringim Town, with 88 respondents drawn from ten cohorts of young people (under 40) and Adults (over 40) living in the Katutu, Galadanchi, Walawa, Majiyawar-Gari, and Marakawa Quarters. In order to better understand the shift from traditional to modern building concepts and designs in Ringim, the study used a quantitative approach, specifically a structured questionnaire that focused on groups of youths and adults and asked questions about functions, durability, aesthetics, and values. The answers to the research questions were analyzed using the simple mean and standard deviation. The study's conclusions showed that while traditional buildings in Ringim had greater fire, acoustic, and thermal insulation, they also have poor water resistance, to name a few drawbacks. It is advised that experts in the fields of Architecture, Town planning, and Construction, among others, pay attention to the indigenous Design theory, Technology, Artisanship, and Craftsmanship connected to the emergence of Traditional Building. Additionally, recommendations indicated that, for comparative purposes, comparable studies had to be carried out at other tiers of educational establishments, such as Colleges, Polytechnics, and Universities, as well as in other parts of the State and Nation.

Did the diarist who chronicled the Great Fire of London make up a scientific instrument?

Did the diarist who chronicled the Great Fire of London make up a scientific instrument?

THE INFLUENCE OF LOUIS H. SULLIVAN ON THE CHICAGO SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Chicago has been an active city since it started to attract people for new opportunities in the 1830s. After the city experienced the Great Fire in 1871, the primary concern was to rebuild the city. The absence of fire-protective materials, fragile soil conditions, and the need for multistory commercial buildings with structural stability were serious challenges. Many prominent architects and engineers not only rose to them but also created the “Commercial Style”. Thus, the time witnessed the emergence of the Chicago School. This paper addresses the influence of Louis Henry Sullivan on the Chicago School of Architecture. Looking at the remarkable ideas in materials and construction techniques employed at the time, it is aimed to answer how a city is built on its dynamics on a different scale. It provides an in-depth analysis of the period’s problems related to building construction via literature review, drawings, and photographs. As the method of the study, tall building innovations were investigated using Sullivan’s five buildings which express the idea of contemporary high- rise buildings and technical solutions of the period. The study will contribute literature answering how these buildings’ designs responded to the theory behind the Chicago School of Architecture.

All That Is Solid Bursts into Flame: Capitalism and Fire in the Nineteenth-Century United States

Abstract Industrial capitalism arrived in Europe as great urban fires were already retreating. The United States, however, was generously timbered and far more reliant on wooden construction. As a result, its infernos continued, and even increased, well into its age of capital. They especially struck places of intense commodification: hastily built settler towns, slave cities, financial centres and sites of mineral extraction. Noting the connection between fire and capitalism, a class of upwardly mobile strivers came to appreciate fires for their ability to disrupt social hierarchies, reset property relations and nurture economic dynamism. Oddly, many who had suffered fires even interpreted them as ‘blessings in disguise’. This pyrophilia was not universal, however, and the richest men of the Gilded Age strenuously opposed it, seeking instead to fireproof the environment. The clash between pyrophobes and pyrophiles was between economic incumbents and economic insurgents, and it touched on many areas of late nineteenth-century culture. Familiar Gilded Age artefacts such as Chicago’s White City and L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz can be productively understood in terms of this widespread fight over the value of fire, and thus the shape of capitalism.

Nationalizing the fig commerce: Aram Hamparzum’s warehouse from the Empire to the Republic

ABSTRACT Eastern Mediterranean port cities constituted an important scene in the nationalization policies that went hand in hand with ethnic violence and chronic corruption at the dawn of the twentieth century. This article traces the formation of an asymmetrical partnership between the Unionist governor-general (vâlî) Rahmî Bey and the Ottoman Armenian merchant Aram Hamparzum known as the Fig King of Smyrna (Izmir) and the subsequent seizure of Hamparzum’s warehouse in the framework of the Turkification policies during the two decades of extremes—1910s and 1920s—in the Ottoman Empire. Going beyond the concept of comprador bourgeoisie, the article argues that even though both parties protected their own interests to some extent, the Ottoman Armenian merchant eventually turned into the governor-general’s commercial subordinate. This is twofold. First, Hamparzum’s case shows that non-Muslim merchants continued to dominate the local market in the temporary shelter of Smyrna despite the efforts by the Unionists to liquidate the properties of the Ottoman Christian bourgeoisie while Armenians were being sent to death marches in 1915. Secondly, after the Great Fire of Smyrna in 1922, similar to other Ottoman Christians who were compelled to leave the port city, Hamparzum’s properties were transferred to Muslim merchants in the mid-1920s.

Natural halloysite nanotubes decorated with organophosphorous for highly flame‐resistant epoxy composites

AbstractHighly flame‐resistant epoxy composites have important application value in many industrial fields. Unfortunately, epoxy resins (EPs) are inherently flammable materials and exhibit great fire hazard. In this study, the commercially available 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO) was chemically immobilized on the surface of natural halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) via the linkage of vinyltrimethoxysilane to obtain a novel flame‐retardant VD@HNTs containing P/Si/Al elements. It was found that the flame‐retardant VD@HNTs can effectively improve the thermal stability and flame resistance of epoxy composites. Typically, when 10% of VD@HNTs is added in EP, the limiting oxygen index of as‐prepared VD@HNTs/EP composites reaches 30.3%, and it also successfully reaches V‐0 classification in the UL‐94 test. Besides, the ignition time of VD@HNTs/EP composites was enhanced from 42 s for pure EP to 60 s, and the maximum heat release rate was reduced from 1221 to 758 kW∙m−2. These great findings promise an innovative and efficient strategy for improving the fire safety of EP products and may also offer valuable insight toward fabricating various novel organic–inorganic flame retardants as well as highly flame‐resistant polymer composites.Highlights A novel flame‐retardant VD@HNTs containing P/Si/Al elements was prepared by the chemical decoration of HNTs with organophosphorous. The VD@HNT can effectively improve the thermal stability and flame resistance of epoxy composites. Synergistic flame‐retardant mechanism of phosphorus‐based flame retardants and natural HNTs was classified.

КУПЕЧЕСКИЕ УСАДЬБЫ КАК ЧАСТЬ КУЛЬТУРНОГО ПРОСТРАНСТВА ПРОВИНЦИАЛЬНОГО ГОРОДА XIX — НАЧАЛА ХХ В.

The article presents the results of studying urban estates of provincial merchants based on a field survey of the preserved buildings of Yelabuga and analysis of various sources. The estate form of development determined the type of urban space of Yelabuga from the beginning of the 19th century and to the 1917 revolutionary upheavals. According to their purpose, merchant estates can be divided into residential and commercial-industrial, which was in many ways typical of the trading cities of the Central Russian zone. The structure of a merchant estate included a residential building, courtyard with outbuildings (stables, sheds, a glacier and a barn), bathhouse, one or two outbuildings, and garden plot. Geographically, the estates occupied plots measuring 17–20 acres, located on the sides of longitudinal streets and extended into the depths of the block. After the 1850 great city fire, each estate was fenced on two (and in some cases three) sides with firewall walls. The front of the house with a gate overlooked the red line of the street. The composition of the manor house was determined by the norms of regular urban planning, location, functional use of the territories, size and configuration of the land plot, as well as a local landscape. In the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries, when Yelabuga turned into a large commercial center, a new type of merchant estate, combining residential and trading functions, became widespread. On the estate territory, in addition to residential and commercial buildings, there were shops and stores, warehouses and storehouses. At the same time, the merchants began to pay considerable attention to the functional side of buildings, their convenience, comfort, lighting, and ventilation.

Developing millennial tree-ring chronology for Turku (Åbo) and comparing palaeoclimaticsignals inferred from archaeological, subfossil and living Pinus sylvestris datain Southwest Finland

Archaeological and living tree data were used to construct tree-ring chronologies over the medieval (AD 1183–1430) and recent (AD 1812–2020) periods in Turku, which is historically an important population centre in Southwest Finland and the country. Comparisons between the two tree-ring assemblages, and between the previously built chronologies from the Åland (historical timber) and Tavastia (lacustrine subfossils and living trees) sites, provided ways of understanding the growth patterns and their linkages to climatic, environmental, and edaphic factors. Tree growth in and around Turku was affected by warm-season precipitation and winter temperature. Similar relationships were previously evident also in the Åland tree rings, whereas the data from a wetter Tavastia site did not exhibit similar precipitation signal. The site conditions influence also the correlations which are higher between Turku and Åland than between Turku and Tavastia chronologies. Construction of long continuous chronology is impaired by human-related activities, the Great Fire of Turku in 1827 and logging, which have diminished the availability of dead and living-tree materials, respectively. These conditions lead to hardships of filling the gap between the medieval and recent periods and updating the archaeological datasets with compatible living-tree data, which are both demonstrated by our results.

Bio-Based Tannin Foams: Comparing Their Physical and Thermal Response to Polyurethane Foams in Lightweight Sandwich Panels

Rigid polyurethane foams are the better-performing material for the most common insulation purposes, like sandwich panels. Nevertheless, they are highly flammable materials, release toxic gases, and are manufactured from fossil sources. As an alternative, tannin foams are bio-based materials that work as innovative alternatives thanks to their great fire resistance, as well as lower smoke and harmful gases emissions. In the present study, lab-made foams of both materials were compared through morphology, thermal and fire degradation, mechanical properties, and water affinity in order to fill the technological gap between them and their related sandwich panels. It was observed that tannin foams are still relatively inhomogeneous (since formaldehyde was not used) and present a high affinity for water but have higher thermal and fire resistance. The flat compression strength of the polyurethane sandwiches was greater than that of tannin sandwiches (3.61 and 3.09 MPa, respectively) thanks, mainly, to the crosslinking degree difference between the resins. Also, tannin foams presented a lower weight loss (−70.684% lower weight loss in flammability tests than polyurethane foams) and the ability to self-extinguish the flame. Therefore, sandwich panels with tannin foam cores could be successful materials in areas that require protection against fire, such as the building engineering and automotive industries.

“Burned by the Torch of the Incendiary”

During the early Gold Rush period, San Francisco’s seaport was hastily constructed on a site that was ill-fit for its purpose. Challenges included firstly the need for incoming vessels to be unloaded by hand onto smaller vessels in order to bring goods ashore and, secondly, a series of six great fires over eighteen months, from December 1849 to mid-1851. The fires, which repeatedly burned San Francisco’s seaport to the ground, staggered the confidence of the business community and gave rise to a “moody conviction” that the city was doomed. These developmental challenges provide the context within which seaport workers living in San Francisco from Sydney were constituted as a problem. These migrants were attacked on account of the important roles they assumed in the operation of the seaport and were accused of starting San Francisco’s fires to create opportunities for theft and plunder. A strategic series of attacks orchestrated by the Committee of Vigilance saw these migrants pushed out of the valuable waterfront real estate they had occupied. These attacks also formed part of a broader post-fire redevelopment project. This attempt to tease out the social history of San Francisco’s built environment contributes to a spatial turn in historical studies that emphasizes the need to regard space as well as time as a critical dimension of social life.

Contradictions of Saint Paul’s Cathedral

Saint Paul’s Cathedral is a contradiction. Beautiful and majestic, it combines an almost Catholic shape with a Protestant soul. It is one of the most powerful symbols of England, and a reason for pride for any Londoner. This paper wants to explore the architectural variations of Saint Paul’s, especially before and after the Great Fire in 1666, to unveil the peculiar relationship between the cathedral and the people of London. Although St Paul’s has been a constant for the Londoners, its role in their lives has not always been the same. The progressive change in people’s attitude towards the cathedral went at the same pace as the alteration of the architecture of the building, which mirrored the social, political, and religious changes of the country. From being a central point of commerce and medieval social life during its Norman period and its Gothic style, the cathedral evolved into the highest symbol of religion and power and reached its peak with the design provided by Wren. Looking at the different models of Saint Paul’s, from its first consecration in 604 until today, it is evident that the building has been an active player in English history, adapting itself to necessity. It witnessed the Norman Conquest, the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, and the Great Fire, and it was the symbol of the English strength and resistance in World War II. Therefore, the study of the architectural changes of Saint Paul’s is the study of the city of London, its people, and some of the most significant historical events that shaped England.

Fire in Hansŏng: Conflagrations and Arson in Fifteenth-Century Korea

The use of fire and its associated risks are universal across all cultures. In pre-industrial times, it was common for people to use open flames daily. Nonetheless, while fire brought many valuable aspects to their everyday lives, it could quickly get out of control and become a significant threat to human settlements and lives. The capital city of Chosŏn Kingdom 朝鮮 (1392–1897), Hansŏng 漢城, was no exception when it came to its susceptibility to conflagrations. Regardless of their origin, repeated fire incidents played a significant role in the formative processes of the city. While many English-language publications have been written on the fire history of various countries, the history of fire prevention and protection in pre-indus- trial Korea remains relatively unexplored and unknown to anglophone audiences. This paper aims to shed light on this lesser-known aspect of Korean history by addressing the topic of urban fires and arson in fifteenth-century Chosŏn, focusing on the capital city area and its struggles with anthropogenic fires. By examining some of the extant early Chosŏn administrative records, the paper explores how the administration of the capital city reacted to and coped with repeated incidences of fire. The paper shows that religious and practical approaches toward fire disasters coexisted alongside each other without being mutually exclusive, and introduces two major conflagrations that significantly influenced government policy towards fire incidents—the great fire of Hansŏng in 1426 and the Ch’angdŏk palace fire in 1467.

Planning Principles of Grazing Management in Goat Breeding in Massive Forest Fire Areas (Case Study: Manavgat Forest Enterprise)

Turkey's forest area is approximately 23.1 million ha, covering 29.44% of the country's surface area. About 20 thousand villages and 7 million forest villagers live in these areasThe vital activities of forest villagers, whose main livelihood is agriculture and animal husbandry, face severe damage from forest fires. The "Regulation on Procedures and Principles on Animal Grazing in the Forests and in the Grassland, Plateau, and Winter-Passage," published by the General Directorate of Forestry (GDoF), has been entered into force in 2012. According to this regulation, the areas where grazing is prohibited and allowed are specified. According to the GDoF of Forestry, sheep and cattle are grazed systematically in forest areas in 53.1% of our country's forest areas. However, it is still being determined what kind of grazing system will be implemented for forest villagers since all areas around the forest villages are burned in massive forest fires. The study aims to determine the principles of grazing plan and management for the forest villages of Antalya province Manavgat district after the great forest fire. The original data of the study area consists of fire data in the Manavgat district, forest management plan data, and forest village data damaged by fire at various levels. Considering these data, The principles of planning on how to use approaches such as suitability analysis, SWOT and RWOT analysis, and Logit model for functional grazing management and planning of goat breeders have been determined. The most critical problem forest villagers face after the massive forest fires are the complete restriction of sustainable goat breeding. It is necessary to decide on a new grazing plan, and management approaches for such areas to maintain life practices despite legal regulations. This study established a new grazing plan, management opportunities, and principles.

From the eyes of censorship supporters: Chinese attitudes regarding two types of online censorship

ABSTRACT The Chinese government has developed a complicated online censorship regime targeting various media with diversified techniques. Prior literature has argued that the censorship system enjoys general support in China. However, how Chinese people perceive heterogeneous online censorship mechanisms and the corresponding censored objects remains unclear. This study focused on two different online censorship mechanisms in China: the Great Fire Wall and citizen reporting. Using survey data collected in China in 2019, we established two path models to investigate the relationships between perceived media effects, attitudes toward online censorship, desire for censored information, and media being surveilled by each censorship mechanism. Our findings have important implications for understanding the complexity and nuances in censorship-related attitudes in China.

The potential use of natural expanded perlite as a flame retardant additive for acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene based composites

AbstractThis study aimed to reveal the effect of expanded perlite (EP) additive as a flame retardant for acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) copolymer based composites. Before composite preparation, fine powdered EP was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopic analyses. Also, maleic anhydride grafted ABS (MAH‐g‐ABS) with a grafting degree of 3.9 wt% was synthesized and used as a polymeric compatibilizer. ABS/EP composites with different ratios of EP were prepared by a continuous one‐step melt mixing method. Thermogravimetric and morphological analysis, tensile tests, limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL‐94 vertical burning tests of the composite materials were investigated. EP significantly decreased the decomposition rate of ABS and promoted char formation. EP provided a UL‐94 V‐1 flammability rating with great fire resistance and self‐extinguishing properties to the ABS matrix without any melt dripping. The LOI of ABS was greatly improved, reaching a value of 28.5% by adding only 5 phr EP. Zinc borate (ZB) also played a significant role in enhancing thermal stability and flame retardancy by creating a good synergism with EP. The composite containing 5 phr ZB showed a flame retardant grade of UL‐94 V‐0 and an LOI value of 27.5%.Highlights Flame retardant ABS/EP composites were successfully prepared by melt mixing. The EP ratio of 10 phr provided the highest resistance to flammability. ZB showed good synergy with EP in enhancing the flame retardancy of ABS. ABS/EP10/ZB‐5 composite had a UL‐94 V‐0 rating with an LOI value of 27.0%. This study proved the potential use of natural EP as a flame retardant filler.

Special Issue on the 100th Anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake

On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck the Tokyo metropolitan area of Japan. It was an extremely powerful earthquake that caused a great fire. The death toll reached approximately 105,000, and the economic loss is estimated to have exceeded 30% of the Japanese gross national product at that time. For September 2023, the Journal of Disaster Research (JDR) has planned a special issue to commemorate 100 years since the Great Kanto Earthquake. While previous special issues by the JDR have focused on specific disasters, this special issue will focus on the lessons and findings from the catastrophe and will cover even the progress of disaster research since then. We received fourteen important and thought-provoking manuscripts not only on scientific and engineering aspects but also on social and cultural aspects, including comparisons with other disasters, historical views, reconstruction issues, and future perspectives. These fourteen articles can be categorized into the three groups described below. The first four articles are the English translations of articles that originally appeared in “Koho Bosai,” the bimonthly journal on natural disaster reduction that is complied and published by the Disaster Management Section, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. The JDR believes that these four articles provide a concise English description of various aspects of the Great Kanto Earthquake disasters. Dr. Takemura summarizes the seismic features of the 1923 Kanto Earthquake. Dr. Sekizawa summarizes the large scale urban fires that it caused. Dr. Suzuki describes various aspects of the emergency responses. Dr. Murosaki details the recovery project in Tokyo. Those articles discussed various lessons learned from the 1923 Kanto Earthquake and emphasized the importance of transferring the lessons toward future disaster mitigation. The next six papers were originally works studying various aspects of the Great Kanto Earthquake disasters. Dr. Midorikawa reviews the strong ground motion of the 1923 Kanto Earthquake. Dr. Kaneko evaluates the resulting tsunami. Mr. Mammen sheds new light on the relationship between Charles A. Beard and Goto Shinpei in terms of the recovery. Dr. Albini studies the voices of foreign residents who left impressive disaster processes at that time. Dr. Murao reviews the urbanization of Tokyo after the Kanto Earthquake. Dr. Shima studies the response of the Tokyo Electric Light Company, Inc. to the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The last four papers are works on various aspects of disaster risk reduction, but all of these works were inspired by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake in one way or another. Dr. Shaw provides a framework for repositioning earthquake risk reduction. Dr. Shimbo explores the Phase Free Concept. Dr. Shoji focuses on the possibility of Medium-Wave AM Radio Broadcasting. Dr. Yamaguchi studies the Risk Communication Method. The Editorial Board of the JDR thanks all of these contributors and hopes that these articles serve as great sources for further research in disaster risk reduction.

The Schooner Enterprise: a Forgotten Key West Murder Case

Abstract In 1859, Key West found itself transfixed by a sensational criminal trial. Styled United States v. Carcer, Eloy, and Davis, and presided over by William Marvin, the island's legendary federal judge, the case involved a mutiny-murder aboard the slave ship Enterprise. Although famous in its day, the tale has been all but forgotten due to the Great Key West Fire of 1886, which destroyed nearly every record of the affair.

Оценка влияния тяжелых углеводородов на аэрологические риски аварий в угольных шахтах

Introduction. An analysis of the dynamics of the increase in the number of functioning coal mines in the Russian Federation shows that over the past 22 years, the maximum number of new mines has increased dramatically and amounted to (over a decade) 11, which is 1.6 times more than the same maximum value of 7 (new mines commis-sioned over previous decades), for the entire period from 1910 to 2000. The largest number of mine seams currently being developed in the Russian Federation is represented by grades: D, G, GZh, Zh. It has been established that the content of heavy hydrocarbons in the residual gases of Kuzbass and Donbass coals is more than 80%, reaching 98% for Zh and KZh grades. Heavy hydrocarbons pose a great explosion and fire threat to coal mines, which necessitates the study of their composition and content and taking into account the impact on the aerological risks of mines. Objective. Study of the composition and content of heavy hydrocarbons in the residual gases of coal and coal dust and assessment of their impact on the aerological risks of accidents in coal mines. Methodology. To assess the impact of heavy hydrocarbons on the aerological risks of coal mines, the methodology developed by the authors was used to find the area of intersection of hazardous factors in mining and the vulner-abilities of ventilation schemes and methods, characterized by the proportion of probabilities of undesirable events. This methodology has been further developed in assessing and taking into account the impact of heavy hydrocarbons on aerological risks in excavation areas and development workings. The previously assessed mining hazards were supplemented by taking into account the high methane content of the seams, the presence of a critical content of heavy hydrocarbons, and the depth of mining operations. The vulnerability of the schemes and methods of ventilation of the working areas and development workings was manifested at high loads on the stopes, high values of the absolute methane content of the working areas, high speeds of advancement of the working and development faces. Results and discussion. A general pattern has been obtained for the two basins, consisting in the fact that the content of heavy hydrocarbons in the residual gases of coal is more than 80%, reaching 98% for Zh and KZh grades. It was determined that the residual gases of coal dust contain a greater amount of heavy hydrocarbons (up to 91%) compared to the residual gases of coals (87%), with propane and butane predominating. The presence of heavy hydrocarbons in the residual gases of coals under favorable conditions for mining coal seams increases aerological risks by 3.3 times; for the worst conditions, aerological risks due to the influence of heavy hydrocarbons increase only 1.7 times, which is due to the large influence on risk assessment of such factors as the load on the stope, absolute methane abundance, the rate of advance of the face, the depth of mining operations. For development workings, aerological risks due to the influence of heavy hydrocarbons are 1.5 times greater than for extraction areas. The research results can be useful in assessing the impact of heavy hydrocarbons on the aerological risks of coal mines. Conclusions. Heavy hydrocarbons contained in the residual gases of coal and coal dust, under certain conditions, increase the explosion and fire hazard of coal mines. It is possible to imagine the following scheme of methane ignition processes followed by an explosion of coal dust: methane ignition, heating of coal dust, release of combustible components from dust, ignition of combustible components, combustion of coal dust, explosion.