Funny thing about that earthquake. (and it will probably happen again) Most people did not have insurance for an earthquake, but they did have insurance for damage from fire, so many people torched their damaged buildings after the quake, and that is what lead to the massive inferno that engulfed the city afterwards.
The story I once heard about the origin of the fire is somewhat different.....
After the quake hit, someone decided to cook themselves breakfast on their kitchen stove.
The chimney was cracked, and a fire broke out in the home as a result, which spread to other structures.
The locals, as the story I heard goes, called the fire the “Ham and Eggs Fire.”
Don’t know if it’s true, but this is the story I once heard.
The fire laid waste to 80% of San Francisco.