Great Chicago Fire Research Paper

The Great Chicago Fire happened on the night of Oct 8-10, 1871. One legend is at a barn located on the land of Patrick and Catherine O’ Leary at 137 DeKoven Street on the city’s southwest side and the fire started when the family’s cow kicked over the lantern and it lighted the hay and the barn caught on fire. Before the Great Chicago Fire the city average was 2 fires per day. In 1997, the Chicago City Council exonerated Mrs. O’ Leary and her cow. She turned into a recluse after the fire and she died in 1895.
Chicago was already a threat to fires because the buildings were made out of wood and they were all connected. The fire was getting bigger and bigger, it burnt her house down and the house next to their house. It spread across the river because of all the pollution in the river and they thought that it was good because the built a fire wall but, it crossed the river twice. It made a big fire tornado. The fire burned for 2 days following Oct 10, when it finally rained so it made the fire die down some. The Great Chicago Fire left an estimated 300 people dead and 10,000 others homeless or missing. This whole thing was a huge accident.
Before the fire it was a lot of dry weather and an abundance of wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks made Chicago vulnerable to fire. The city average was 2 fires per day in 1870; there were 20 fires throught Chicago. In 1997, the Chicago City Council exonerated Mrs. O’Leary and her cow. She turned into a recluse after the fire, and she dies in 1895. The blaze spread across an area of about 4 miles long almost a mile wide. The terrible fire destroyed 17,000 structures , including the business district of the city, damages were estimated at $200 million