- Thumb Fire
The great Thumb Fire took place on
September 5 ,1881 inthe Thumb area ofMichigan in theUnited States . Thefire , which burned over a millionacre s (4,000 km²) in less than a day, was the consequence ofdrought ,hurricane -forcewind s,heat , the after-effects of thePort Huron Fire of 1871 and the ecological damage wrought by the era'slogging techniques.The blaze, also called the Great Thumb Fire, the Great Forest Fire of 1881 and the Huron Fire, killed 282 people in Sanilac, Lapeer, Tuscola and Huron counties. The damage estimate was $2,347,000.
The Thumb Fire, which reportedly began in Tuscola County, was allegedly the first
natural disaster served by theAmerican Red Cross .ee also
*
Peshtigo Fire
*Great Chicago Fire
*The Great Michigan Fire External links
* [http://www.michigan.gov/images/FIRE1881_22139_7.jpgChart of the Burnt District of Michigan - Map of Thumb Fire Impact]
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