October 1871: Chicago is a tinderbox. In three months, only an inch of rain has fallen. For days a strong, hot wind has blown in from the southwest. The city of wooden buildings and woodpaved streets is ripe for the fire that will destroy three-quarters of the city. Chicago is about to suffer one of the world's worst urban disasters. Track the path of the fire and read accounts of the people who lived through it, in this interactive timeline and map.

Chicago On Fire (230k)
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The Great Fire of 1871
Watch a video re-creation of the Great Chicago Fire, from the film.