Fire in the Sky
There are no official weather records for the summer of 1871 for the state of Michigan in fact most locations do not have a official weather record for any dates before the 1880’s at best and while Lansing has records back to 1863 the records for 1871 and 1872 are missing. However, a report in a blog from Thunbwind states “The summer of 1871 was dreadfully hot and dry in Michigan’s Thumb. Farmers watched their crops wither in the dry heat. In the fall, relief from the drought was no better. Folks began to worry that there were to be some lean winter months ahead.”
In other reports autumn of 1871 was also warm and dry. Then on the weekend of October 7th fire swept across part of eastern Michigan laying claim to life, property, and natural resources, primarily in Sanilac, Huron and Tuscola counties. “A skyful of flame, of smoke a heavenful, the earth a mass of burning coals, the mighty trees, all works of man between and living things trembling as a child before a demon in the gale,” is how the Michigan fire of 1871 was described in a history of Sanilac County. “To those who have seen, the picture needs no painting.”
Small fires that broke out gradually ran together drawing dry air from inland rather than moist air from over the lakes. Wind carried chips and fragments, starting new fires. Big brush piles left by logging practices of the time added to the ferocity of the fires. The pine needles and stems accumulated on the ground contained heavy amounts of resin and, combined with leaves and other organic matter, burned very hot. These were not like the fires we see today, that burn hottest in the air. These fires burned hottest on the ground.
On Sunday, Oct. 8, 1871, the fire started blowing, burning, killing and devouring everything in its path. In some community’s people went to bed at night, only to be aroused at midnight by the fearful cry of “Fire!” They watched their homes, farms, livestock, and belongings vanish into smoke and ashes. Some were able to save themselves. “Others, choked with flame and smoke, left only their charred bones to tell their friends where and how they died,” said one report. Thousands of acres of valuable pine were gone in a matter of hours.
The firestorm forced people of Forestville onto the beach or into the water. Some took refuge in boats, covering themselves with wet blankets. In Huron County, families tried to outrace the fire. One family climbed into a wagon, covered themselves with wet blankets and headed for a mill race a half-mile away, arriving just before the wagon caught fire. The family jumped into the race, covering themselves with more wet blankets.
In just a half-hour, Forestville was in ruins. At White Rock people plunged into the lake, but the lake was so rough that women and children were thrown back on the beach. They risked death by drowning in order be saved from death by fire. Some dug holes in the ground or a bank and managed to survive by crawling into the shelter. Losses included crops, houses, businesses, livestock, grain, hay, bridges and crossings in swamps.
“It is estimated that the dwellings, household goods, clothing, winter’s provisions and supplies for stock of from 4,000 to 5,000 people were destroyed and with the mills the means to supply food for these,” one account reported.
10 years later during August and September it was very hot and dry in Detroit with more than 11 days in the mid and upper 90’s. Also the population was denser in 1881 on Sept. 5, 1881, when a firestorm with very high winds traveled across Sanilac County in four hours. The fast-moving firestorm burned over a million acres leaving 150 people dead and hundreds injured. To save themselves, some residents jumped into wells, remaining there for up to five hours before crawling out. Others never made it out. The fire sent enough soot and ash up into the atmosphere that sunlight that the next day the sky appeared yellow in some locations along the east coast.
Slim
Let it snow let it snow let snow …InDY
Is U of M football for real this year or will they continue to lose the big games?
Yes this is the year GO BLUE…INDY
I hope you are correct, however time will tell?
Well, it sounds like it is time to review some facts!
1. Frost and freeze temps start tonight! Get ready!
2. A weak La Niña = good chance of above normal snowfall!
3. Cold and Snow rocks!
4. Rock n roll will never die! Hey, hey, my, my, rock n roll is here to stay!
5. Winter is awesome!
BIG CHANGES COMING AT THE END OF THE MONTH STAY TUNED …..WHO KNEW??? InDY
Frost advisory tonight …who knew?? INDY
We will be seeing many nights of frost and yes freeze temps! Incredible!
Wow!! No freezing temps well into November again!! Keep them warm fall temps ROCKIN!!
https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/b4ea0280869baa46799dc75eacef8904785ec43ad2f6fb098355fbc208a55e2c
Last week of October and the furnace ran this morning for the first time. I can’t ever remember a year that has been this late for running the furnace.
Hard to imagine a fire like that in Michigan. Thanks Slim!
Look out more rain coming!!! soon it will be all snow love this wet pattern we are in rain every other day such a wet Fall….Lets keep it going through Spring…Who Knew ?? INDY
Don’t mention the word Snow to all the warm weather fanatics, they don’t think we see any snowstorms all winter and are predicting a rainy winter! They will be in a big surprise! Cold and Snow rocks!
Lol….wood is stacked since August INDY is ready!!! Who knew?? InDY
There was another 0.10″ of rain fall here yesterday and overnight. Also yesterday was just the 2nd day this month with a mean that was below average. Clouds kept the overnight low in the 40’s with a low of 41 here at this time it is cloudy and 42.
Slim
Excellent post, Slim.
Feels like autumn this morning. The maples are really turning now.
This is a sad story I have read about before. This was well before the first horse-drawn pumpers came on the scene (around 1900). Not much they could do with bucket brigades with fast-moving fires.
Yesterday’s high in Otsego was 51 and the low was 36.5 – we currently have 42.