Search results
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km 2) of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless.
The aptly called "Burnt District," a map of which appeared in virtually every printed account of the fire, comprised an area four miles long and an average of three-quarters of a mile wide — more than two thousand acres — including more than 28 miles of streets, 120 miles of sidewalks, and at least 2,000 lampposts.
THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE: OCTOBER 8-10, 1871. In October 1871, Chicago was the fourth largest city in the United States with over 334,000 residents. Over 60,000 buildings (90% made of wood) were squeezed into the city limits, along with hundreds of miles of wooden streets and sidewalks.
Before and After the Fire: Chicago in the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s. Click on the links below to access scans of some of the sheet maps of Chicago from the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s that are held at the University of Chicago Library's Map Collection.
A recent hypothesis suggests that the simultaneous major fire outbreaks occurring in Chicago, Peshtigo and Manistee, Michigan were sparked by heavenly fireballs bombarding the Earth, the remnants of Comet Biela.
4 mar 2021 · The Great Chicago Fire killed around 300 people. Thankfully, in the morning of October 10, 1871, rain started to aid firefighters in extinguishing the fire. The Great Chicago Fire spread around 3.3 miles.
8 paź 2015 · The fire burned for nearly two days from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10, killing hundreds and destroying a little over 3 square miles of the city, mostly centered in the city's downtown business district.
