Great Chicago Fire Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to Tuesday, October 10, 1871. The fire killed up to 300 people, destroyed roughly of Chicago, Illinois, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city lead to a conflagration. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago, and then leapt the main branch of the river consuming the near north
The Great Fire of Key West The Great Fire of Key West The Great Fire of Key West was a major fire that destroyed a significant portion of the city of Key West in 1886. It was the largest and most devastating fire in Key West history. The fire began in a coffee shop next to the San Carlos Institute. It burned for 12 hours over 50 acres, destroyed most of the commercial area of the city, killed seven people, injured 15 more, and cost one and a half million dollars in property damage. There were several compounding factors that caused the fire to burn for