Did Mrs. O Leary's cow really start the Chicago fire? Some may say that the cow started the fire, but there are other theories that disprove this theory. The Chicago Fire happened in 1871. It was a catastrophic day in Chicago. Even though it was catastrophic and did some really bad things, it also led to industrialization in Chicago and made Chicago what it is today. Without the fire, Chicago might not be the metropolis it is today. What is the Great Chicago Fire? The fire broke out on October 8, 1871 (Chicago Historical Society). It burned until October 10th. It was a dry and humid night in Chicago. The entire summer of 1871 was very dry, leaving the land parched and the wooden city vulnerable. Fires, even serious ones, were a recurring reality in Chicago in 1871. (AE American History) On average before the great fire there were two fires per day in Chicago. Between July 3 and October 9, only two and a half inches of rain fell in Chicago. Winds on the night of the fire exceeded thirty miles per hour. All the houses and sidewalks in Chicago at that time were built of wood. The fire lasted most of the night and into the following days. The fire ultimately incinerated nearly thirty-three miles of streets, homes, and buildings. Before midnight the fire jumped to the Chicago River. The ground itself was also said to be on fire that night. (Chicago Fire of 1871) The firefighters, exhausted from having put out the fire the night before, first went to the wrong neighborhood and had to turn around to find the right one, then the aqueduct, the only source of water for the firefighters of the fire, it broke. To get water they had to tear down sidewalks and streets and put them in a steam engine, which took even longer to put out the fire. ...... middle of the sheet ...... day of remembrance for the people who lost their homes or lives on that tragic day. The Chicago Fire was a bad time but also a good time in Chicago's past. He destroyed an entire city, but in a way he also rebuilt it. It led to a lot of good things, it showed that even though you might not like the people you live with, when they need help, you should help them no matter what. It also led to industrialization, which helped Chicago become the metropolis it is today. Although no one knows who started the Great Chicago Fire, whether it was old Sullivan with the wooden leg, two random old men arguing in the barn, a comet falling from the night sky, or Mrs. O'Leary herself who He started it to get attention, and is still one of the worst, if not the worst, disasters in the great history of Chicago. Chicagoans will always remember October 8, 1871, because it is a day that changed Chicago forever.