Great Chicago Fire

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07/20/2022

buildings succumbed to the flames, a major contributing factor to the fire's spread was a meteorological

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sages to nearby towns asking for help. When the courthouse caught fire, he ordered the building to be evacua

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arrived at DeKoven Street, the fire had grown and spread to neighboring buildings and was progressing toward the central business district. Firefighters had hoped that the South Branch of the Chicago River and an area that had previously thoroughly burned would act as a natural firebreak.[1]: 147 All along the river, however, were

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to the wrong place, allowing the fire to grow unchecked.[1]: 146 An alarm sent from the area near the fire also failed to register at the courthouse where the fire watchmen were, while the firefighters were tired from having fought numerous small fires and one large fire in the week before.[7] These factors combined to turn a small barn fire into a conflagration.

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Help flowed to the city from near and far after the fire. The city government improved building codes to stop the rapid spread of future fires and rebuilt rapidly to those higher standards. A donation from the United Kingdom spurred the establishme