People fled in panic, grabbing only what possessions they could carry. Witnesses reported seeing sparks and ash everywhere, falling like snow.

The conflagration burned so hot it created fire whirls- tornado-like vortexes scattering sparks and burning debris high into the air. To make matters worse, miscommunications resulted in a deadly delay getting firefighters to the real source of the fire.Ī strong wind from the southwest drove embers deep into the city. Three of their 17 horse-drawn fire engines were unavailable during the Great Fire. Chicago’s population neared 300,000, yet only 216 firefighters served the city. The Chicago Fire Department was woefully inadequate for the task. Factories, lumber mills, stores, and houses crowded together in the same blocks. Even the sidewalks and streets were made of wood. Most of Chicago consisted of wood-framed structures. Whatever the initial cause of the blaze, the results were shattering.Ĭonditions converged to create the perfect firestorm:Ī 14-week drought with unusually hot temperatures left everything dry and ripe for a fire. In 1893, Michael Ahern, the reporter who originated the legend of the O’ Leary’s cow, admitted he fabricated the tale. Contrary to popular myths about the O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern, no one knows the actual cause of the fire. On Sunday, October 8, 1871, a fire began in or near the barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O’Leary. The devastation of the Great Chicago Fire changed commercial construction practices forever, leading to the use of fire resistant building materials like steel buildings.ġ50th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire However, in the 1870s, no one even dreamed of massive, multi-story monoliths soaring toward the clouds. Today steel buildings and skyscrapers define the silhouettes of great cities.

OctoHow Chicago Rose from the Ashes with Fire Resistant Steel Buildings

Design of structural steel columns