Government or official record
The Air Was Fire: Fire Behavior at Peshtigo in 1871
U.S. Forest Service
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Fires · 8 October 1871Open article references →
The Peshtigo Fire
Peshtigo community and river refuge landscape · United States
Why editors use it hereTechnical historical analysis of fuels, weather, survivor accounts, extreme behavior, area burned, and fatality uncertainty.
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Quick read
On the night of 8 October 1871, extreme wildfire swept through northeastern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan, destroying Peshtigo and numerous smaller communities.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
A strong weather system intensified existing fires on 8 October.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Uncertainty
Victim estimates range widely because records were incomplete, migrants and workers were uncounted, and some remains could not be identified.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Why it matters
Peshtigo resists a simple origin story.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
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Quick read