The great fire of Portland, Maine, sometimes known as the 1866 great fire of Portland, occurred on July 4, 1866—the first Independence Day after the end of the American Civil War. Five years before the Great Chicago Fire, this was the greatest fire yet seen in an American city.
The devastating blaze of Portland, Maine, also referred to as the 1866 great fire of Portland, took place on July 4, 1866—the first Independence Day after the conclusion of the American Civil War. This conflagration occurred five years prior to the Great Chicago Fire, making it the most significant fire seen in an American city up until that point.