Electric wire damage may be behind big fire following Japan quake

A major fire that engulfed a historical marketplace in central Japan following the powerful earthquake on New Year's Day may have been caused by damage to electrical wiring, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Thursday.The blaze in Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, which took about 24 hours to bring under control, gutted about 49,000 square meters -- roughly the size of seven soccer fields. The agency surmised the fire spread rapidly due to the high concentration of old wooden buildings in the area.Investigators found evidence of melted wires inside a house suspected to be where the f…READ FULL ARTICLE