The Great East Japan Earthquake has resulted in the generation of large amounts of rubble. As a result, many 'outdoor rubble storage areas' have been established in the disaster areas. However, since the summer of 2011, a great number of fires have occurred in these areas of Tohoku district. One of the causes of these fires is believed to be the proliferation of microorganisms and ferm entation of the organic material present in the rubble piles. The heat generated during fermentation ultimately results in spontaneous ignition. We conducted field surveys of two rubble storage areas in Yuriage and Kozukahara, Natori City, Miyagi prefecture where fires took place. Rubble samples containing material conducive to fermentation were collected from the fire-affected areas, and the risk of spontaneous ignition that is triggered by the heat generated during fermentation was examined. The results revealed that the heat generated during the fermentation of rotten tatami mats and wood chips most likely triggers and causes fires under adiabatic conditions
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