Environmental disasters : the Kuwaiti oil fires / Kristine Hirschmann.

Examines the oil fires set deliberately during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the efforts of private fire-fighting crews who worked to discover new methods to bring the blazes under control.Describes how the fires were started the heroic efforts of the firefighters who brought the burning wells under control,the dire predictios scientists made regarding the results of the fires,and the actual outcome of the aftermath.Includes information on the long-and short-term health issues facing the people of Kuwait,the resurgence of their economy,and a brief review of the political ramifications of Iraq's actions before ,during,and after the war.Concludes with a time line,a chronology of fuel fires and explosions,a glossary ,and a list of sources for further information. Contents: Understanding Oil Fires, A Nation Ablaze, Putting Out the Fires, Immediate Effects and Cleanup, Studying the Disaster, Long-Term Effects, The Economic Damage, After the Fires, The Legacy of the Oil Fires.Includes Appendixes(Time Line,Chronology of Fuel Fires and Explosions,Glossary,Further Reading and Websites and Index).