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The Cause
What caused the great fires that plagued the
Upper Midwest in 1871?
Weather: prolonged and widespread drought
and high temperatures, capped off by a cyclonic storm in early
October (see map, below left).
Settlement & Industry
 | Farming: clearing of hardwood growth for
farm crops; "slash and burn" methods. |
| Logging: Slash from the huge, virgin pine
forest was intentionally burned, or left in piles in the
woods and clearings creating dry tinder for forest fires |
| Railroads: trees and brush cleared from
rights-of-way were left by the wayside. In dry weather,
sparks from steam engines often ignited grass, brush and
slash. |
| Industry: Sawmills and factories, with
large supplies of raw materials (logs), product (lumber,
woodenwares) and waste (bark, sawdust) |
| Construction: Wooden buildings, board
walks, sawdust floors and streets |
Could a comet or meteorite have played a
role? See impact theory for more on
this subject.
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