Learn More about the Fires of Oct. 8, 1871

Courtesy of the Peshtigo Fire Museum.

The Peshtigo Fire was the deadliest fire in U.S. history, claiming an estimated 1,800 to 2,500 lives while destroying millions of acres of land across northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula. To learn about the event, and to hear the stories of the survivors, see the resources below.

Firestorm at Peshtigo: A Town, Its People, and the Deadliest Fire in American History

Authors Denise Gess and William Lutz re-create the personal and political battles that led to the disaster in a riveting account created from extensive research of the fire. 

From the Peninsula Pulse Archives:

Even the Ashes Were Gone: Lessons from the Peshtigo Fire

Laurel Hauser looks back at the fire and the lessons it left for future generations. 

The Fire That Took Williamsonville

Justin Skiba recounts the horror that residents in the Southern Door settlement of Williamsonville encountered. 

Video: Belgian Heritage

Despite the tragedy of the fire that devastated the region, Belgians in Southern Door went back to work in their fields, creating an identity and culture that was unique in the United States.