Great Fire of 1901 Great Fire of 1901 The Great Fire of 1901 was a conflagration that occurred in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 3, 1901. It was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the third largest urban fire in the U.S., next to the Great Chicago Fire, and the 1906 San Francisco fire. In 1901, Jacksonville was a city which consisted mainly of wooden buildings with wood shingled roofs. The city itself had been suffering under a prolonged drought, leaving the building exteriors across the city dry and fire-prone. At around noon on Friday, May 3, 1901, workers at the Cleaveland
The Great Fire of Key West ran an article describing the great fire the day before it actually took place. Notable buildings destroyed by the great fire include the San Carlos Institute, City Hall, St. Paul's Church, Fire House No. 1, the Fogarty Mansion, the Patterson House, and the Key West Custom House. Because the blaze occurred in the heart of the island's business district, many cigar factories and sponge warehouses burned down, putting four thousand employees out of work. William Curry was chairman of the Relief Committee created to rebuild the city after the fire. On April 4th, he publicly requested aid from US Citizens: