On this day in 1871: The Peshtigo Fire

[TheMightyFavog]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_Fire

The Peshtigo Fire. 1.2 million acres burned, 1,000-2,500 people died.

The fire was so intense that it jumped the Bay of Green Bay and spread to Door County.




Largely forgotton due to the Chicago Fire the very same day.

[LeftinOH]

1. I've read about that- one of the country's worst natural disasters,

and not in an area that one associates with wildfires

[Orsino]

2. The same freakin' day???

Once is chance. Twice is Cheney.

[KamaAina]

3. Oh come on. This was in 1871.

Cheney was a mere stripling of 9 or 10 at the time. :P

[grilled onions]

4. There was a theory about this....

A bright light was seen by many people before said fires and they thought that it was possible a meteor or something crashed in from space and it broke off into several pieces and started several fires at the same time. It always made me wonder.