The
Peshtigo Fire was a forest fire that took place on October 8, 1871 in and around
Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It was a
firestorm that caused the most deaths by fire in United States history, with estimated deaths of around 1,500 people, possibly as many as 2,500. Occurring on the same day as the more famous
Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire has been largely forgotten. On the same day as the Peshtigo and Chicago fires, the cities of
Holland and
Manistee, Michigan, across
Lake Michigan, also burned and the same fate befell
Port Huron at the southern end of
Lake Huron as well.