Great Chicago Fire

The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from October 8 to October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying several square miles in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S. disasters of the nineteenth century, the rebuilding that began almost immediately spurred Chicago's development into one of the United States's most populous and economically important cities.

Related events

In that hot, dry and windy autumn, two other major fires occurred along the shores of Lake Michigan at the same time as the Great Chicago Fire. Some 400 miles (600 km) to the north, a prairie fire driven by strong winds consumed the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin along with a dozen other villages, killing 1,200 to 2,500 people and charring approximately 1.5 million acres (6,000 km²). Though the Peshtigo Fire remains the deadliest in American history, the remoteness of the region meant it was little noticed at the time. Across the lake to the east, the town of Holland, Michigan and other nearby areas burned to the ground.

Related Topics:
Lake Michigan - Peshtigo, Wisconsin - Peshtigo Fire - Holland, Michigan

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There have been persistent theories that the 1871 fires were started by a comet. The latest comet theory was propounded by physicist Robert Wood who attributes the blazes to a fragment from Biela's Comet. That three large fires took place, all on the same day, all on the shores of Lake Michigan, suggests a common root cause. None of the comet theories has gained wide acceptance, however; regional weather conditions remain the simplest explanation.

Related Topics:
Comet - Robert Wood - Biela's Comet - Lake Michigan

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