The Great Fire (children's novel) down. Critics from the "Horn Book" described the novel as having "vivid first-hand descriptions by persons who lived through the 1871 Chicago fire are woven into a gripping account and absorbing the riveting reading". The Great Fire (children's novel) The Great Fire is a story for children and young adults, written by Jim Murphy about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which caused the destruction of most of the city of Chicago. "The Great Fire" was a Newbery medal honor book in 1996. The novel "The Great Fire" is about the great fire that happened in Chicago. The huge fire
Great Michigan Fire was burned over by the Thumb Fire, which followed part of the same path of the 1871 fires. In the mid-1830s logging began in Michigan and grew into a significant industry. Michigan was extensively logged for the Eastern white pine, measuring tall and exceeding in diameter, along with the hardwood forests. By 1854, sixteen sawmills were in operation, producing over of lumber. These operations left behind branches, bark and quantities of unused wood. The fires of October 8, 1871, started after a long dry summer. Most areas had had no rain in months, making the dried-up vegetation and logging debris,