CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA. — The Great Chicago Fire was a devastating blaze that began on the evening of Sunday, October 8, 1871. Rumours abound that it was started when a cow in a shed kicked over a lantern, but a reporter for the Chicago Republican later admitted to making up the story. How the fire really began remains unknown.
It had been a hot, dry summer. Chicago’s buildings were mostly made of wood, providing the tinder for the fire to quickly spread. Due to a series of misunderstandings, the fire department was slow to respond.
According to Nancy Connolly, great-great-granddaughter of Catherine O’Leary, the fire is said to have started at about 8:30 p.m. on October 8, in or around a small barn belonging to the O’Leary family that bordered the alley behind 137 W. DeKoven Street when Daniel “Peg-Leg” Sullivan accidentally knocked over a lantern while looking for beer for a party.
As a result, the fire quickly grew out of control, consuming residences, mansions, hotels, churches, and commercial and industrial buildings in its path. When the city’s waterworks were destroyed, the fire department could no longer fight the blaze.
Martial law was declared when the fire jumped the river and continued burning on the north side.
The Chicago Fire Department is today considered the birthplace of metropolitan firefighting worldwide.
