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Great Chicago Fire
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
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Great Chicago Fire Chicago
Large orange flames and smoke engulf a structure behind a dense tangle of bare tree branches.
Infographic summarizing the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, including statistics on damage, fatalities, buildings destroyed, and homelessness. It features a map highlighting the burnt district, icons for causes and contributing factors, and a timeline of rebuilding with notable architects. Key figures include $200 million in damage, 300 estimated deaths, 17,450 buildings destroyed, and 100,000 people left homeless.
Examine how the Rookery building symbolized the rise of the modern city from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Learn how book donors from London enabled the building of the Chicago Public Library after the Great Chicago Fire
Quizzes
Warm water fuels Hurricane Katrina. This image depicts a 3-day average of actual dea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, from August 25-27, 2005.
Disasters of Historic Proportion

Great Chicago Fire: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: PBS - American Experience - Chicago on Fire. Sep 12, 2026
Add new Web site: University of Michigan Library - Digital Collections - History of the Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 9, and 10, 1871. Feb 03, 2026
Add new Web site: CBS News - Relic from Great Chicago Fire of 1871 keeps history alive and accessible. Dec 26, 2025
Anniversary information added. Oct 01, 2025
Add new Web site: University of Michigan Library Digital Collections - Making of America Books - History of the Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 9, and 10, 1871. Apr 11, 2025
Add new Web site: Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University - The Chicago Fire of 1871: Recovery and Reinforcement of Class Divisions (PDF). Jan 13, 2025
Add new Web site: Independent - AP Was There: Great Chicago fire, Oct. 8-10, 1871. Dec 04, 2024
Add new Web site: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - LibGuides - Significant Illinois Fires: Great Chicago Fire. Jul 26, 2024
Add new Web site: Chicago Architecture Center - The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Jun 01, 2024
Add new Web site: The New York Times - Revisiting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Mar 01, 2024
Add new Web site: Legends of America - The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Nov 10, 2023
Add new Web site: U-S History - The Great Chicago Fire. Sep 15, 2022
Media added. Oct 06, 2021
Add new Web site: United States History for Kids - Great Chicago Fire. Mar 01, 2021
Changed the title from “Chicago fire of 1871” to “Great Chicago Fire.” May 04, 2020
Add new Web site: National Geographic - The Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 'Great Rebuilding. Oct 17, 2017
Media added. May 25, 2017
Added an infographic about the Chicago fire of 1871. Oct 24, 2016
Add new Web site: PBS - American Experience - Chicago on Fire. Oct 07, 2016
Add new Web site: Digital History - The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Oct 07, 2016
Media added. Sep 28, 2016
New article added. Jun 10, 2008
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