THE FIRE THAT HISTORY FORGOT: Deadlier Than Chicago and Gone in One Hour

October 8, 1871, is a date burned into American memory—but for the wrong reason. While the world watched the Great Chicago Fire, a far more terrifying monster was waking up 250 miles to the north.

In this episode of Weird Americana, we uncover the tragedy of the Great Peshtigo Fire, the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history. We explore how a "fire tornado" with temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees literally erased a Wisconsin logging town in less than sixty minutes, claiming over 1,200 lives. Why has this massive disaster been overshadowed for over 150 years?

From boiling rivers to the terrifying physics of a firestorm, we look at the forgotten history of the night the Midwest stood still.