On the evening of October 8, 1871, the worst recorded forest fire in the history of North America raged through northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, destroying millions of dollars' worth of property and woods and bringing away between 1,200 and 2,400 lives (Hipke). The Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871 is the worst recorded forest fire in North American history. The historic fire spiraled out of control and burned approximately 1.5 million acres. On the same day, the Great Chicago Fire burned more than 2,000 acres, paling in comparison. The death toll from the Peshtigo fire was also historic, with an estimated death toll of approximately 2,500 people. It is impossible to determine a completely accurate death toll due to the fact that local records were destroyed in the fire (Wikipedia). Furthermore, so many people had died that day that there was no one left who could identify the dead (Wikipedia). By comparison, the Great Chicago Fire killed about 300 people. The main reason for the high number of victims in the Peshtigo fire was the speed and intensity of the fire, as well as the complete lack of emergency signs and warning systems in place at the time. The vast area of ​​land that burned was so vast and understanding that anyone attempting to flee for safety would most likely run into another front of the fire, only to be consumed by it. Survivors said the fire was so intense that it created a fire tornado that tossed train cars and homes into the air (Wikipedia). Interestingly, the Great Chicago Fire lives in infamy and receives more attention in history books despite being a much smaller and much less destructive fire. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Peshtigo fire is that there is no consensus on what started the first... middle of paper... to let them know of the impending catastrophe approaching them. If there had been some kind of mounted messenger, there would have been fewer deaths, but it is unlikely that anyone would have escaped anyway due to the great speed of the fire. Because of the year, and the fact that the technologies do not yet exist to provide early warning, there was little that could be done. Ultimately, The Great Peshtigo Fire is a great example of the power of uncontrolled fire and the widespread damage it can cause when optimal conditions exist and where civilization meets wilderness. Looking at the map of Green Bay, it is almost incomprehensible to imagine flames so high and fire tornadoes so intense that the fire could literally leap over the bay and burn across the peninsula toward Lake Michigan. This fire is truly the largest fire in American history.