Great Chicago Fire Begins

Date: October 8, 1871 • Location: Chicago Loop, United States

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1871.

The Great Chicago Fire (pictured), began and proceeded to destroy much of the city's central business district, killing 300 people and leaving 90,000 others homeless.

The Great Chicago Fire burned in Chicago, Illinois, United States, during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed 17,000 structures across roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km2), and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city, led to the conflagration spreading quickly. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago and then crossed the main stem of the river, consuming the Near North Side.