The History of Forest Fires and Fire Safety in Wisconsin
Fire Engine and Fire Fighters, 1915 ca.
A small group of fire fighters fight an unseen fire with three fire hoses. Smoke obscures the fire, and on the right, an early 20th century fire engine has smoke billowing from its steam engine. View the original source document: WHI 55759
Extensive fires scorched Wisconsin’s landscape in almost every decade of the 19th and 20th centuries. The most serious disasters occurred between 1847 and 1899, with 1871 reigning as the worst year for forest fires in state history. Rapid settlement outpaced the development of fire controls and safety measures, which contributed to fire fatalities.
19th Century: The Deadliest Fire In State History
The deadliest fire in state history occurred on October 8, 1871 when a massive fire burned portions of eight northeastern counties and obliterated the towns of Peshtigo and Brussels. About 1,500 people were killed in this blaze that is commonly referred to as the "Peshtigo Fire." The Reverend Peter Pernin witnessed the fire firsthand and wrote about his experiences in "The Great Peshtigo Fire", a book from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Although the Peshtigo fire devastated the region, the rest of the world was focused on another destructive fire occuring in the same time period: The Great Chicago Fire.
Disaster struck Wisconsin once again in 1894, when forest fires around Phillips in Pierce County burned more than 100,000 acres, destroyed 400 homes, and killed 20 people. In 1898, steamboat captain and lumber foreman John L. Bracklin recalled a close call with a forest fire in a 1917 letter.
Jack Vilas' Flying Boat, 1915 ca.
Jack Vilas (seated) in the Curtiss hydroplane he used to spot forest fires for the Wisconsin Conservation Department. His companion is not identified. This is believed to be the first use of an airplane for conservation work. View the original source document: WHI 10498
Early 20th Century: Forest Rangers and New Patrolling Techniques
In 1905, the state appointed 249 town fire wardens with the power to hire firefighters, but did not provide any equipment. Despite this, fire protection improved in the following years. In the fall of 1908, fire marshals and the Wisconsin State Forestry Department contained a blaze that had broken out over a wide swath of northern Wisconsin.
The state's first forest rangers were hired in 1911, and the first forest protection headquarters was established at Trout Lake. In 1915, Jack Vilas piloted the first fire patrol above Trout Lake and spotted fires from the air for the first time in state history. Lookout towers and ranger stations sprang up around the state through the end of the 1920s. Fire protection continued to become more organized.
Forest Fire Poster,
Poster design from the Forest Protection Program depicting squirrels with the text: "Another Enemy To Conquer-Forest Fires-9 Out Of 10 Can BE Prevented". View the original source document: WHI 25653
Mid 20th Century: Dry, Hot Weather Contributes to Forest Fire Threats
Despite these new protections, fire remained a constant threat. Record-breaking temperatures and periods of drought plagued the 20th century. During the Dust Bowl (1930-1936), severe drought ravaged the state. Roughly 2,950 fires burned annually in this period. Wisconsin also experienced its highest recorded temperature, 114 degrees, on July 13, 1936, at Wisconsin Dells. Drought and fire continued to threaten Wisconsin throughout the remainder of the 20th century. Fires were particularly bad in 1977 when a second year of severe drought led to destructive fires in Wisconsin Rapids, Black River Falls, and in Washburn and Douglas Counties.