Natural Disaster Facts Ten

The deadliest wildfire occurred on October 8, 1871 in the territory around Peshtigo, Wisconsin which became known as the Peshtigo Fire. It was also the same day as the Great Chicago Fire. Small fires had been set to clear forest land but a cold front with strong winds fanned the flames out of control as it raced through twelve communities. The official death estimates ranged between 1200 to 2500 and the fire burned between 1.2 million and 1.5 million acres of forest which covered between 1875 and 2400 square miles.