The citizens of Edo also made an effort, in the “spirit of self-help,” to keep themselves safe from fires. For example, merchants in the Nihonbashi area organized fire-fighting teams to protect the shops as well as the residents there. In the early 18th century, those teams developed into machibikeshi, or city firefighters, as depicted in Picture 5. Thus, voluntary fire-fighting teams were born.
　The members of the machibikeshi, who risked their lives fighting fires, became popular heroes. Both children and adults were fascinated by their brave acts. As seen in Picture 6, their stories even provided material for kabuki plays and woodblock prints (ukiyoe).
　In the late Edo period, when fires occurred, copies of handwritten newspapers were sold on the street. They reported what the fire was like, where victims were housed, and where soup kitchens were located. Through these newspapers, people could get information about their relatives and friends, and could rush to help them when needed.