San Francisco California Earthquake Fire Disaster Debris Trolley 1906 Real Photo Postcard

The devastating San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906, was swiftly followed by widespread fires, responsible for the majority of the city's destruction. This postcard captures the immediate aftermath, showing commercial structures reduced to rubble and charred remains, indicative of the intense conflagration that swept through the urban core. Broken gas mains and a crippled water supply system allowed the fires to rage unchecked for several days.