Great Baltimore Fire and piers lining the north side of the old "Basin" (today's "Inner Harbor") of the Northwest Branch of the Baltimore Harbor and Patapsco River facing along Pratt Street. It is considered historically the third worst conflagration in an American city, surpassed only by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906. Other major urban disasters that were comparable (but not fires) were the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and most recently, Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico coast in August 2005. One reason for the fire's long duration involved
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: