Was it the Cow?
In 1871 a great fire consumed the City of Chicago and served as a catalyst for fire prevention week. The bulk of the damage was consumed by the fire on October 9, 1871 and was one of three major fires (Peshtigo Fire and the Great Thumb Fire) that week. The story is typically told about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow who tipped over a lantern and caused the start of the fire. Recently historians have worked to debunk the ethics of Mrs. O’Lery’s milking cows and may lead to careless smoking near the barn or a fiery meteorite which started the Peshtigo fire as well.
Details of the Chicago Fire included
- 250 Died
- 100,000 were left homeless
- 2,000 acres burned
- 17,400 structures were destroyed by fire
Regardless of how the fire started, the event triggered many events that have focus on public education on fires. 40 years after that fiery day, the International Fire Marshal’s Association (Approximately 1910) pushed to have the week set aside as fire prevention day. This included [click to continue…]
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