Chicago’s Great Fire Wasn’t the Biggest Fire In America That Day
Though Chicago’s Great Fire garnered the headlines on October 8th, the deadliest wildfire in American history burned that same day hundreds of miles to the north
October 8,1871 was a day of fire. When we hear that date and word of fire, it is hard for us not to think of the Great Chicago Fire. It set one of America’s greatest cities ablaze, burning over 17,000 structures and killing nearly 300 people.
Yet what if I told you that wasn’t the most deadly fire to scar the United States that day? Further to the north across Lake Michigan, a great wildfire broke out near the logging town of Peshtigo. By the time it burned out, it was, and remains, the America’s most deadly wildfire.
It was common practice then to manage land using a slash and burn method. This helped to clear forest for farming and railroad construction. With so much success, a false sense of security on controlled burns settled in on locals.
On that October day, as another controlled burn was underway, the weather turned. Strong winds from an approaching cold front out of the west raced into the area. Fueled by the winds, the flames exploded into a massive firestorm.
With speeds of 110 miles per hour, the wind superheated the flames to temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. With an abundance of fuel the fire grew to immense size. At times it was estimated the diameter of the fire reached ten thousand feet.
In just two hours the fire eviscerated a swath of forest some 10 miles wide and 40 miles long. It would continue to spread. Towns across eight counties would sustain damage at the hands of the flames.
Witnesses reported the firestorm was so intense it generated its own fire tornado. That fire tornado was said to have thrown rail cars and houses into the air. There were also reports that the fire jumped rivers in pursuit of more fuel.
The nearby town of Peshtigo, which had faced a long and arduous drought, lay in the path of the flames. Because of the frequency of controlled burns, many locals thought nothing of the burning smell and falling ashes. They turned in for the night not considering what was bearing down on them.
The winds raced into town bringing with it the blazing inferno. Citizens raced for the nearby river. Others sought refuge in their basements. Many perished in the flames and when the firestorm had passed, just two buildings remained. It was nothing short of obliterated.
By the time the fire had burned itself out it had consumed between 1.2 and 1.5 million acres. Peshtigo was one of sixteen communities destroyed by the blaze. Damage estimates reached $5 million, the equivalent of $108 million today.
Two million trees, saplings, and animals also perished in the fire. This had significant impacts on the area’s economy. Yet, the most astonishing number to come from the Peshtigo fire is the estimated 2,400 deaths.
It would take days for aid to arrive to the Peshtigo area. Much of it had been directed to Chicago’s Great Fire. When word got to Madison, they quickly assembled food and clothing and distributed it to the nearby town of Marinette.
Scientists studied the Peshtigo fire carefully. They quickly noted the unique combination of wind, topography, and ignition sources that resulted in the firestorm that destroyed Peshtigo. It was dubbed the “Peshtigo Paradigm.”
The paradigm served as a template or American forces in search of generating their own firestorms during bombing campaigns in World War II. Looking for similar attributes, military officials built small scale models and studied how to drop bombs to create a firestorm.