The Great Peshtigo Fire

The Great Peshtigo Fire was the deadliest forest fire in US history. As many as 2,500 people died and over 1.5 million acres of forest in northeastern Wisconsin were destroyed. What made this fire such a terrible disaster? In The Great Peshtigo Fire: Stories and Science from America’s Deadliest Firestorm, young readers will explore what happened before, during, and after the fire. Discover what a firestorm is and how one starts, find out what northeastern Wisconsin was like in 1871 and why fires broke out so easily, and hear stories about some of the adults and children who survived. Readers will see how lessons learned from the Great Peshtigo Fire are helping America stay safer from fires today.