The Great Chicago Fire

On October 8, 1871, a fierce fire broke out in the bustling city of Chicago. Jumping rivers and burning miles of buildings and homes, the flames raged for more than two days. More than a hundred people died, and thousands were left homeless. Could the city have prevented this blaze?


To understand the impact of a disaster, you must understand its causes. How did Chicago's building methods add fuel to the fire? How did human error delay help when the fire broke out? Investigate the disaster from a cause-and-effect perspective and find out!