On October 8th through October 10, 1871, the city of Chicago was the site of one of the greatest, most destructive conflagration fires of the 19th century. Every factor that would predicate such an event was present. The city was going through a severe drought, the fire department was fatigued and overworked, and high winds were present.
             There are many theories regarding how the fire began. Some say the first spark was in Mrs. O'Leary's barn on the night of October 8. The most popular legend is that Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a kerosene lantern in her barn, causing the wooden framed structure and its contents to catch fire. Another theory points to a local man who may have accidentally started the fire when his pipe blew a spark in the O'Leary's barn while he attempted to steal milk. The initial event of what caused the Great Chicago Fire or who (or what) was truly responsible may or may not ever be known, but the devastating outcome of the fire cannot be denied. City officials estimated that more than 300 people died, over 100,000 were left homeless, and about 3.3 square miles were destroyed (Wikipedia.org/the-great-Chicago-fire. 11/1/2012).
             Environmental Events Leading Up to the Fire
             In the summer of 1871, Chicago experienced an unusually dry summer. The result was that all of the wood used in structures, foundations, and sidewalks had become dry and brittle. The dried wood was like fuel to the fire and what started off with a small barn fire quickly spread to a raging, uncontrollable inferno. Like all cities, the buildings were constructed very close to one another with little to no space between them. This allowed the strong winds to fan the fire along, from building to building.
             Local Fire Department Response to the Fire
             Another factor that may have been responsible for the devastating Chicago fire was that the local fire department had been fighting much small
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