On this day, October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago, Great Michigan, and Peshtigo Fires started.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Thu Oct 8, 2020: On this day, October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago, Great Michigan, and Peshtigo Fires started.

Chicago after the Great Fire that started today 1871:

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On this day in 1871, Peshtigo Fire, deadliest fire in US history, burned path through Wis. Destroyed forest 10 mi wide & 40 mi long. Wiped out Peshtigo & Brussels. 1,500 people died. Burned + 280,000 acres in 8 counties. http://wihist.org/2fs9bbh WHI Image 1881 #wisconsinhistory

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_8:

Slash-and-burn land management, months of drought, and the passage of a strong cold front cause the Peshtigo Fire, the Great Chicago Fire and the Great Michigan Fires to break out.

[sybylla]

1. There are some great books out there on this topic.

A couple of decades ago I read Firestorm At Peshtigo and it was everything - terrifying, gut-wrenchingly sad, with a lot of "how on earth can this happen" mixed in.