The Deadliest Wildfire America Almost Forgot

The deadliest wildfire in U.S. history is mostly forgotten.

On October 8, 1871, a massive firestorm destroyed Peshtigo, Wisconsin, a lumber town surrounded by forests, sawmills, wooden buildings, and piles of dry wood.

The region had been extremely dry. Logging and land clearing had left branches, sawdust, and wood debris scattered across the area. Smaller fires were already burning nearby.

Then strong winds arrived.

Those fires grew into a fast-moving firestorm. The flames moved so quickly that many residents had almost no warning. Some people fled toward the Peshtigo River and tried to survive in the water.

Within only a few hours, Peshtigo was destroyed.

Across the region, around 1.2 million acres burned. Death toll estimates vary, but roughly 1,200 to 2,400 people died.

That makes the Peshtigo Fire the deadliest wildfire in American history.

And yet, the Great Chicago Fire happened the same night.

Chicago received far more national attention, while the deadlier disaster in Wisconsin faded into the background.

America remembered the famous fire and almost forgot the deadlier one.

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