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Quiz about Somethings Burning
Quiz about Somethings Burning

Something's Burning Trivia Quiz


Fires can be things of terror, of beauty, of destruction, and wonderment. This quiz gives you examples of all of these emotions at work through the medium of fire.

A multiple-choice quiz by Warrior100. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Warrior100
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
372,105
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
390
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The General Slocum was a passenger ferry that caught fire and sank with the loss of over 1,000 lives on June 15, 1904 while sailing on the East River in which large US city? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The Black Saturday Bushfires caused havoc, destruction, and also 173 deaths in Australia on Saturday 7 February 2009. Which state suffered this natural disaster? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. On 19 August 1980 a Saudi Lockheed TriStar airliner caught fire immediately before making an emergency landing at Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 287 passengers and 14 crew. What was considered to have been the prime cause of the fire? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What is the name of the *movie* in which the body of the main character played by Kirk Douglas is placed on a ship, which is then set alight and pushed into the open ocean. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. A commonly used technique in fighting wildfires is swailing. What is this ? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed over 10,000 house, 87 churches and most of the city's civil administrative buildings. How long did the fire last? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Napalm was used extensively by the US military during the Vietnam War. But when and where was napalm actually first used in warfare ? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Where and when was the first municipal fire brigade in the world established? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What was the name of the nightclub which burned down in November 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts, resulting in the deaths of 492 people? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In the song "Something's Burning", Kenny Rogers told us he thought the something was ____? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The General Slocum was a passenger ferry that caught fire and sank with the loss of over 1,000 lives on June 15, 1904 while sailing on the East River in which large US city?

Answer: New York

The General Slocum was ferrying a large number of passengers to a church picnic when a fire broke out. Poorly maintained safety equipment, an ill trained crew, and bad decision making by the captain all contributed to the disaster. The ferry eventually sank in shallow water with the loss of 1,021 lives from the estimated 1,342 passengers and crew.

This loss of life from one incident was the worst in New York until the 9/11 attacks.
2. The Black Saturday Bushfires caused havoc, destruction, and also 173 deaths in Australia on Saturday 7 February 2009. Which state suffered this natural disaster?

Answer: Victoria

A prolonged dry spell, with record high temperatures up to 45* degrees C (113* F) and tinder dry bush provided the perfect ingredients for a serious fire threat in the countryside close to the city of Melbourne prior to 7th February.
On that day, very high winds felled power lines amidst the dry bush, and several fires started. Despite massive fire fighting efforts, the fires quickly spread out of control, and eventually consumed several towns in the area. Over 1,800 houses were destroyed, with 173 deaths and 400 injuries.
3. On 19 August 1980 a Saudi Lockheed TriStar airliner caught fire immediately before making an emergency landing at Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 287 passengers and 14 crew. What was considered to have been the prime cause of the fire?

Answer: A butane stove used by passengers

Investigations into the cause of the fire found the remains of a butane stove in the area where the fire originated. At the time of the disaster, some Middle Eastern airlines permitted some passengers to use butane stoves to prepare food in accordance with Muslim requirements. All such on board practices were banned after this incident.
4. What is the name of the *movie* in which the body of the main character played by Kirk Douglas is placed on a ship, which is then set alight and pushed into the open ocean.

Answer: The Vikings

The Vikings is an adventure film released in 1958 based the novel of the same name by Edison Marshall. The film follows the trials and tribulations of a family of Norsemen about 1000 years ago.
The method of placing bodies of Viking royalty and warriors on burning ships has been disputed as inaccurate by archaeological evidence which suggests that ships were used in such burials, but as land based funeral pyres.
5. A commonly used technique in fighting wildfires is swailing. What is this ?

Answer: Controlled back burning

Back burning is used to create a firebreak across the path of a wildfire, by reducing the amount of flammable material available for the fire to use.
6. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed over 10,000 house, 87 churches and most of the city's civil administrative buildings. How long did the fire last?

Answer: 4 days

The fire started in a bakery in the middle of the city on Sunday 2 September.
High winds, dry conditions, lack of water and fire fighting equipment and crammed timber buildings caused the fire to rage out of control.
By Wednesday , the winds had died down, and the successful clearing of firebreaks by authorities allowed the fire to largely burn itself out.
While the exact death toll is unknown, it was thought few people were killed. The fire led to the construction of a better planned city, and helped remove the conditions that had lead to the outbreak of the disastrous plague of 1665.
7. Napalm was used extensively by the US military during the Vietnam War. But when and where was napalm actually first used in warfare ?

Answer: Berlin 1944

Napalm is a mixture of a jelly like gel and gasoline. When ignited, the substance adheres to all surfaces, and can burn for many minutes.
The product was invented at Harvard University early in World War 2, and its first recorded use in incendiary bombs was by the US Army Air Corps in a raid on Berlin in March 1944.
8. Where and when was the first municipal fire brigade in the world established?

Answer: Edinburgh 1824

There were various fire fighting groups organised in cities throughout the world prior to 1832. However, these groups were established by private companies such as insurance companies, or as part of military or policing activities. The (Municipal) Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment was formed under the leadership of James Braidwood - who also became instrumental in founding the London Fire Brigade.
9. What was the name of the nightclub which burned down in November 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts, resulting in the deaths of 492 people?

Answer: Cocoanut Grove

On the night of one of the worst nightclub fires in history, an estimated one thousand people crammed into the club which was rated for a maximum figure of 460. Once the fire had broken out as a result of an accident with matches, it spread rapidly throughout the club - boosted by masses of paper decorations, cloth draperies and flammable fittings.

There were limited escape routes, with windows blocked, and the few escape doors swinging inwards. The terrible loss of life lead to improvements of many safety codes, such as outwards opening doors, better lit exit signs and removal of all obstacles to exterior escape routes.
10. In the song "Something's Burning", Kenny Rogers told us he thought the something was ____?

Answer: love

The theme of fire features in a number of songs , including "Play With Fire" by the Rolling Stones, "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen, and "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. Perhaps the most popular of the Fire songs is "Light My Fire" by The Doors.
Source: Author Warrior100

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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