write an informative essay on the great chicago fire

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Great Chicago Fire

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• Public Broadcasting Service - American Experience - The Great Fire of 1871
• U-S History - The Great Chicago Fire
• National Geographic - The Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 'Great Rebuilding
• The New York Times - Revisiting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
• Chicago Architecture Center - The Great Chicago Fire of 1871
• Legends of America - The Great Chicago Fire of 1871
• The Chicago Historical Society - The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory
• Chicago fire of 1871 - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Chicago fire of 1871 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Great Chicago Fire , conflagration that began on October 8, 1871, and burned until early October 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of Chicago .

Chicago’s growth in the mid-19th century was unprecedented. The population reached nearly 30,000 in 1850 and was triple that a decade later. Cheap transportation to the outskirts of the city encouraged middle-class dispersal, but poor neighbourhoods near the downtown area were congested; structures there were also built of wood. Serious fires were frequent, but none would compare to the one started on October 8, 1871. Months without rain had parched the city, and a major fire the previous night had exhausted firefighters and damaged equipment.

The Great Chicago Fire began on the city’s West Side, in the De Koven Street barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, though it is not known what happened there. Vandals, milk thieves, a drunken neighbour, spontaneous combustion , even (though unlikely) the O’Learys’ legendary cow—any could have started that blaze, which roared out of control in minutes. Misdirected fire equipment arrived too late, and a steady wind from the southwest carried the flames and blazing debris from block to block. The slums became kindling for the downtown conflagration, where even the supposedly fireproof stone and brick buildings exploded in flames as the destruction swept northward. Only rainfall, the lake, and stretches of unbuilt lots on the North Side finally halted the wave of destruction on the morning of October 10.

The fire, the most famous in American history, claimed about 300 lives, destroyed some 17,450 buildings covering almost 3.5 square miles (9 square km), and caused $200 million in damage. Roughly one-third of the city lay in ruins, and an equal proportion of the population—nearly 100,000 people—was homeless.

While the fire had devastated the downtown and North Side of Chicago, the stockyards and lumberyards on the South and West sides remained intact . The city rebuilt quickly, and by 1880 its population had reached a half million. A host of talented architects—including Louis Sullivan , Dankmar Adler , William Holabird , Daniel H. Burnham , John Wellborn Root , and William Le Baron Jenney —who had been attracted to Chicago by the postfire rebuilding opportunities stayed on in the 1880s to design a new generation of even taller downtown buildings. Department stores and offices crowded into the central area, and industrial growth along the river branches and rail lines was equally phenomenal.

The Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 'Great Rebuilding'

Article on the 140th anniversary of the Chicago Fire focusing on city planning and the "Great Rebuilding."

Arts and Music, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Economics

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On October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. For more than 24 hours, the fire burned through the heart of Chicago, killing 300 people and leaving one-third of the city's population homeless. The "Great Rebuilding" was the effort to construct a new, urban center. Big businesses, innovative buildings, and a new style of architecture were the results.

The Great Chicago Fire started on the evening of Oct. 8, 1871. While there is little doubt that the fire started in a barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, the exact cause of the fire remains a mystery. From the barn at 137 DeKoven Street, on the city's southwest side, the fire spread north and east, into the heart of Chicago's business district . Rain put out the fire more than a day later, but by then it had burned an area 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. The fire destroyed 17,500 buildings and 73 miles of street. Ninety thousand people—one in three Chicago residents—were left homeless by the fire. While only 120 bodies were recovered, it is believed that 300 people died in the blaze. Chicago's summer and fall in 1871 were unusually dry, with only one-fourth the normal amount of rain falling between July and October. Many of the city's wooden buildings and sidewalks had dried out in the summer's intense heat. On the first night of the fire, strong southwesterly winds fanned the flames high into the sky and created convection spirals , or "fire devils." Fire devils spit burning debris in all directions, causing more buildings to burn. Buildings often had a single layer of fireproof material on the outside, hiding the wooden structure beneath. The Waterworks, on Pine Street, was just such a building. Its wooden roofing shingles had been replaced with slate , but the structure itself was pine . When a burning ember struck the roof in the first hours of the fire, the Waterworks was quickly destroyed. It was the main source of water for the city's understaffed fire department . On the first Sunday after the fire, the Rev. Robert Collyer spoke to his Unitarian congregation outside the ruins of Unity Church on Dearborn Street. "We have not lost, first, our geography . Nature called the lakes , the forests , the prairies together in convention long before we were born, and they decided that on this spot a great city would be built." Unity Church was rebuilt the following year. The fire destroyed the city’s business district , but it left the stockyards and the new packing plants on the South Side untouched. Known as the “Hog Butcher of the World,” Chicago’s stockyards processed more meat than anywhere else on Earth. Most of the wharfs , lumberyards , and mills along the Chicago River survived, as did two-thirds of the grain elevators to the west. The industries surrounding agriculture and trade kept the city’s finances as stable as possible, and employed thousands of people. Most railroad tracks were not damaged. This allowed shipments of aid to come pouring in from across the country and around the world. Book donations collected in England became part of Chicago's first free, public library . The Chicago Public Library opened its doors on Jan. 1, 1873. Its original building was a water tank on LaSalle Street that had survived the fire. In 1956, the Chicago Fire Academy was built on the site where Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary's barn once stood. The school trains new firefighters to this day.

First Phase of the Great Rebuilding The rebuilding of Chicago started immediately. Sometimes, construction began even before the architect and engineers had completed the design. After the fire, laws were passed requiring new buildings be constructed with fireproof materials such as brick , stone , marble , and limestone . These building materials, much more expensive than wood, are held together by a sticky, strong substance called mortar . The construction technique using mortar is called masonry . Masons are a skilled group of construction workers. Many poorer Chicagoans couldn't afford the fireproof materials or skilled masons to rebuild. In addition, many could not afford fire insurance . (Before the fire, many people had insurance , but their policies were burned in the fire.) Without the means to rebuild or insure their property , thousands of people and small businesses were crowded out of Chicago. Many other businesses simply ignored the new building laws. Wood often replaced stone , and builders decorated their buildings with wooden awnings , cupolas , and cornices . Terra Cotta Two events stopped this phase of reconstruction. The first was the failure of a bank , Jay Cooke and Company, in Sept ember 1873. The bank ’s failure triggered a nationwide depression that halted much of the Chicago construction. The second event was another, somewhat smaller fire, in July 1874. This fire destroyed more than 800 buildings over 60 acres. After the 1874 fire, the slow and expensive process of rebuilding with fireproof materials began. Big banks and businesses, which handled millions of dollars in revenue every year, dominated Chicago’s new business district . Terra-cotta clay emerged as a popular and effective building material. By the mid-1880s, terra cotta tiling made Chicago one of the most fireproof cities in the nation. The renovation of Palmer House, a luxury hotel on Monroe Street, is an example of how reconstruction efforts used terra cotta. Palmer House had opened only 13 days before the Great Fire. When it looked likely that the Palmer House would be destroyed, its architect , John M. Van Osdel , buried the blueprints in a hole in the basement, and covered them with a thick layer of sand and clay. Sand and clay are the chief materials used in the building material known as terra cotta. The blueprints survived the fire, and Van Osdel became convinced that clay terra cotta tile would make an excellent fireproof material. Terra cotta tiles became roofing materials for the new Palmer House. The building itself was made of iron and brick . Palmer House, which is now part of the Hilton hotel chain, advertised itself as “The World’s Only Fire Proof Hotel.” Terra cotta would also be used in the Montauk Block , on Monroe Street, often regarded as one of the world’s first high-rise buildings. The Montauk was 10 stories tall, with 150 offices. After the fire, clay tiles formed fireproof insulation around the building's iron frame. The Montauk was also the first building in Chicago where the construction didn't stop during the winter, and it was the first building in the world to be built at night, using the new technique of electric lighting. Chicago School Chicago's architects worked to meet the demands of commercial businessmen. Businessmen preferred plain-looking buildings, because putting on fancy ornaments cost more money. This streamlined style became known as the Chicago School of architecture . William Le Baron Jenney , Daniel Burnham, John W. Root, Louis Sullivan , and Dankmar Adler are some of the most well-known Chicago School architects . The construction of the Home Insurance Building is a good example of how the Chicago School architects worked with businesses to form a new style. When the New York Home Insurance Company relocated its business to Chicago, they challenged the architectural community to come up with a design to bring natural light to all parts of the building. William Le Baron Jenney came up with a solution: Steel , lighter and stronger than iron , could be used on the upper floors. Jenney's Home Insurance Building, on LaSalle Street, was the first to make use of a steel cage to provide a building's support. The steel frame allowed more large windows to be constructed on every side of the building. Natural light flooded the tall structure. The partitions between offices were made of brick and terra cotta. Built in 1884, the Home Insurance Building is considered to be the world's first skyscraper .

Unitarian Faith "We have not lost, first, our geography. Nature called the lakes, the forests, the prairies together in convention long before we were born, and they decided that on this spot a great city would be built." The Rev. Robert Collyer, speaking to his congregation after the Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed their church

Fire Prevention Week On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America started Fire Prevention Week . In 1925, Fire Prevention Week became a national observance. Today, the International Fire Marshals Association marks the week around Oct. 9 as a way to educate the public about fire safety.

Who Started the Fire? There are many theories about how Chicago's Great Fire of 1871 started. It began in a barn belonging to Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. Some people believe a thief knocked over a lantern while stealing milk from the barn. Years later, a man named Louis M. Cohn confessed to starting the fire by accidentally knocking over a lantern when running away from an illegal card game. Recently, scientists have suggested that a meteor shower ignited hay in the O'Leary barn.

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October 19, 2023

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History Resources

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871: A Story of Human Tragedy and Triumph

By gerry kohler.

Ask anyone what the greatest disaster in Chicago was and probably no one will say, "The Great Iroquois Theatre Fire of December 30, 1903." Six hundred three souls perished in that fire. They probably won’t say, "The sinking of the Eastland excursion boat in the Chicago River in 1915." Eight hundred thirty-five died in that tragedy. The answer will most likely be, "The Great Chicago Fire." The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 left approximately three and one-third square miles of the city in ruins, created $192,000,000 in property damage, and took the lives of some 300 people. But it also spurred one of the greatest American triumphs—out of the disaster and devastation in 1871, Chicago rebounded and held the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is not remembered for the body count but for the near inhuman effort of those who remained amid the ashes, grieving for their lost loved ones, mourning their destroyed city, and building a better one that would be a monumental tribute to their strength, determination, and character. From the ashes of the old, the present world-class city of Chicago rose as a powerful and triumphant phoenix.

Essential Question

How did the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 affect individuals socially and economically?

Motivational Strategy

Ask students what they know about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Record their responses for all to see. Present the background information from above, your own summary, or your textbook’s account of the fire. Ask them to compare it with their earlier responses. Explain that in this lesson, after reading some eyewitness accounts of the fire, they will be responsible for selecting their own performance tasks or activities.

Students will be able to

• examine primary source documents to analyze the immediate impressions of eyewitnesses
• analyze primary and secondary documents to explain the effects of the fire on the city of Chicago
• select performance tasks (activities) that best suit their learning styles or challenge them to attempt another
• Performance Tasks / Activities  (PDF)

Begin with the Motivational Strategy (above).

Students will intently read as many personal narratives as they can in the time period you allow. (You will need to allow time for the distribution of the performance tasks, choosing tasks, and completing a contract, if you wish.)

Ask students to read empathetically, to put themselves in the place of the person about whom they are reading.

Distribute the Performance Tasks handout and ask students to choose one that best fits their own learning style. They may also choose an activity that is contrary to their preferred learning style as a challenge.

Decide on a due date. (You may want to have them formulate a contract informing you of which task they have selected.)

Familiarize students with a peer rubric so they will be aware of evaluation criteria. (Note: I always use a peer rubric for my own evaluation, but of course, you may have another that you will want to share with them.)

Note: The most comprehensive site I found to study the fire is The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory . It is the result of collaboration between the Chicago Historical Society, from whose collections the contents of the exhibit are drawn, and Academic Technologies of Northwestern University, which was primarily responsible for the creation of the website. The resources listed below originate from there. 

Eyewitnesses to the Fire 

• Fannie Belle Becker was ten years old at the time of the fire and wrote about it two years later.
• Joel Bigelow ’s letter to his family is dated October 10, 1871, and includes his own map of the burnt district.
• Bessie Bradwell (later Helmer) was the daughter of James B. Bradwell, a county judge, and Myra Colby Bradwell, founder and editor of the Chicago Legal News , whose subscription book thirteen-year-old Bessie saved from the flames. The Bradwells lived in the South Division. She sent her memoir to the Chicago Historical Society on the fifty-fifth anniversary of the fire, in 1926.
• Clarence Augustus Burley was a young man at the time of the fire, living with his family in the heart of the North Division’s Old Settler neighborhood. He later served as president of the Chicago Historical Society. This excerpt is from "The Clarence Augustus Burley Family Record."
• A.S. Chapman wrote his "Boy’s Recollections of the Chicago Fire" in 1910. 
• O.W. Clapp , who lived south of the fire, tells of his important part in the first relief efforts. This is taken from a presentation Clapp made to the Borrowed Time Club of Oak Park in 1914.
• William Gallagher was a student at the Chicago Theological Seminary. His letter to his sister in Boston is dated October 17. 
• John J. Healy ’s account is part of his longer essay, "A Bit of the Old North Side." His family was one of those that built a shelter house after they were burned out. He was then about eight years old. 
• Mrs. Alfred Hebard came from a pioneering family. She was a cousin of the oldest of the Old Settlers, Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, who had arrived in Chicago in 1818 as a fur buyer for John Jacob Astor and who was living in the North Division at the time of the fire. After her marriage in 1837, Mrs. Hebard and her husband settled even further west, in Iowa. They were passing through Chicago on October 8, 1871. Her recollection was written in 1880.
• Anna E. (Tyng) Higginson ’s letter to Mrs. Mark Skinner is dated November 10, 1871. Mrs. Higginson was the wife of George M. Higginson, who had been an important figure in the Chicago real estate business for almost three decades. After the conflagration, he was very active in behalf of the Chicago Historical Society as a collector of fire narratives. 

There are ten more eyewitness accounts to choose from at The Great Chicago Fire’s Eyewitness page .

You may want to continue with other curriculum and concepts until the due date for the final projects, creating a time lapse between Days One and Two. A written reminder of the due date should be posted and verbal reminders given, with small progress reports.

Write the Essential Question on the board and let students know they must listen intently to their peers’ projects.

Distribute the peer rubric.

Remind students that the rubric must remain anonymous and that you will be checking them before the presenter sees them.

Let the projects begin! You may want to invite another class to enjoy and learn.

After each project or performance, allow students to ask questions as they complete the evaluation.

Collect evaluations. Make certain all are anonymous and appropriate. (Students enjoy seeing their peer average scores on your own evaluation.) You might want to return the evaluations to the students.

There should be a class discussion of the Essential Question. Also, refer back to the motivator and show what students initially knew. Compare and contrast that with what they know now.

Compare and contrast the aftermath and effects of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 with Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.

What types of disasters, natural or man (or cow) made, might occur in your own geographic area? Predict how your community would respond.

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History of the Great Chicago Fire Essay

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Formal Outline

Fire is one of the most destructive and distressing aspects in the modern times due to massive losses that it can cause to both individuals and property. Fire incidents may be categorized as either natural or man-made. For instance, the most anguishing fire outbreak was the Great Chicago fire that razed the wooden city in 1871. This fire outbreak destroyed property and killed hundreds of people.

Reports indicate that the fire began in the night of October 8 when a cow owned by Catherine and Patrick O’Leary kicked a lantern that was burning in the barn. Being a windy night and coupled with some human agency, the fire quickly spread to the neighborhood destroying everything on its way.

Survey reports after the fire indicated vividly that the damage caused by the raging fire damaged dozens of property within a width of one kilometer and a length of approximately six kilometers. It is against this backdrop that the ability to effectively prepare, prevent and manage key fire risks forms one of the most fundamental practices in society bearing in mind that poor level of preparedness has quite often been cited as the main cause to massive loss of life and property in such incidents.

In addition, preparedness guarantees the needed security and prevention measures which is needed to promote higher levels of productivity. Due to the fire outbreak in Chicago, measures have been put in place to prevent another occurrence of the same.

Introduction

Fire forms one of the most destructive and distressing aspects in the modern times due to its related losses to an individual, organization, and the country as a whole. In the year 2008 alone, the United States fire department noted that it had responded to about 1,451,500 fires in the country that resulted to 3,320 fatalities and over US $ 5,478,000,000 worth of property in terms of losses (Ethington, 2002).

At this point, it is imperative to mention that the most anguishing fire outbreak was the Great Chicago fire that razed the wooden city in 1871 alongside destroying property and killing hundreds of people. Li, Zlatanova and Fabbri (2007) posit that fire codes and inspections for protection are very critical in this era of highly dynamic consumerism patterns. The only way to guarantee sustainable growth and development within a country is based on the holistic capacity to address all the incumbent risks factors.

It is from this consideration that fire safety becomes very critical in disaster management as a way of reducing its extended affects. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore the great Chicago fire, its cause and whether it was a code or inspection failure. In addition, the paper examines fire prevention that would have been set in place to avoid massive fire outbreak of that nature and magnitude.

The great Chicago fire: Origin and spread of fire

“ The fire that razed Chicago in the summer of 1871 was a conflagration that spread about nine square kilometers destroying property and killing hundreds of people (Ethington, 2002). Reports indicate that the fire begun in the night of October 8 when a cow owned by Catherine and Patrick O’Leary kicked a lantern that was burning in the barn.

Being a windy night and coupled with some human agency, the fire quickly spread to the neighborhood destroying everything on its wake. However, other reports on the origin of the fire point out that the cow story was not the cause of the fire. These reports from the Chicago Republican pointed out that although the fire came from the barn it was unclear whether it was by human agency or fire from the chimney.

Ethington (2002) posits in his article The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory that the spread of fire was enhanced by the nature of buildings that were erected those days in the city. Most of them were made of wood designs and were closely packed. Besides, there had been a drought in the land and most things were dried. With the southwest strong winds, flying embers of fire were blown into the city and the neighboring surroundings.

It is important to note that in the city, fire inspectors and fighters just as the citizens were not overly concerned when the fire began and made errors of not reacting immediately. Eventually, the fire became gigantic and overwhelmed fire fighters who after long and unfruitful struggles, got exhausted. The fire then spread to apartments, houses and mansions devastating everything on its path leaving over 100,000 homeless and over 300 dead (Ethington, 2002).

The Chicago fire department did not receive fire alarm until after the fire had began spreading. When the alarm came form a guard at a pharmacy, the firefighters were sent to fight fire on a wrong location giving room for fire to spread further. The fire spread to all corners of the city engulfing tall church buildings, theatres, the opera house, Chicago City Hall, department stores and hotels. When the winds and wood diminished, the fire ceased having wiped out 34 blocks from O’Leary property to the northern side Fullerton Avenue.

Survey reports after the fire indicate that the damage caused by the raging conflagration property within a width of one kilometer and a length of approximately six kilometers. Most of the property that were destroyed were estimated to be about 17,500 buildings, 2000 lamp posts, a 190 kilometers stretch of sidewalk and a 117 kilometers of road all estimated to a loss of $ 222 million (Ethington, 2002).

At that time, the population in Chicago was about 300000 people of which 3% were left homeless (Ethington, 2002). Other important facilities which were destroyed included libraries and schools with over three million books lost. When the fire had died and the number of bodies had been counted to over 300, the city began setting up fire standards to prevent similar occurrences.

Analysis of the fire- Code or inspection failure

The ability to effectively prepare, prevent and manage key fire risks forms one of the most important concepts in the society that guarantees the needed security and prevention measures to promote higher levels of productivity. From the Chicago event, the risks from fire outbreaks that people face in their various homes and cities have been the core causes of suffering and loss of property as well as life.

As a result, these uncertainties are considered to be key threats that not only reduce their ability to be productive, but with key potential of causing major dependency in the society. It is from this consideration that fire prevention processes and codes should be well established to curb fire risks in the society. A risk that may lead to a disaster such as that experienced in Chicago would indeed be highly unwelcome to many.

The question that many analysts seek answer to is what was the major cause of fire and why were fighters unable to control the fire. Was failure on the aspect of inspection or was it on codes? While different analysts have at times tended to differ on what the failure was, the results presented by various investigations have proved that failure was on fire inspection.

In the case of Chicago fire, the risk that resulted to the massive damages and loss of people’s lives culminated from the poor fire emergency procedures. The claim is indeed very true as the systems to alert fire fighters and offer right directions were not effective. As such, inspection failure should be blamed for risks that individuals in Chicago faced.

Impact on codes and process

As indicated earlier, the fire in Chicago initiated many major developments of preventing and fighting fire outbreaks. One such initiative was the emergency communication warning system. According to Li, Zlatanova and Fabbri (2007), the effectiveness of fire protection systems in a country should be based on the holistic consideration of the entire fire protection capacity to effectively coordinate their detection and initial fire suppression as well as emergency operations to reduce loss of life and property.

One central factor that cuts across the whole process of fire protection, preparedness, and operations is the emergency warning communication system. They record that once fire has been detected, failure to offer the necessary emergency communication may lead to massive losses to life and property.

Roles and implications

Emergency warning and communication system employs audio, visual, or both in alerting the people about the existence of fire in a particular area. Whereas different disaster management units for different organizations assimilate either audio or visual mechanisms to alert the people on the presence of fire in a region, Damon (2007) points out that a combination of both is important for higher efficacy levels. Analysts indicate that had emergency warning and communication system been effective in Chicago, it would have had the following major roles in fire fighting; To begin with, it would have formed a critical icon in alerting citizens in Chicago inside a factory or a building about the existence of fire in their premises.

At the notification, those alerted would have immediately tried to suppress fire in its point of origin using the available fire fighting equipments like waters pipes and fire extinguishers in their premises. However, citizens’ skills in using the different fire fighting systems and equipments in a nation are critical.

By informing individuals in Chicago on the presence of fire in buildings or premises, they could have been able to move away from the scene and therefore escape danger. Ferguson and Christopher (2007) indicate that one of the most important concepts employed by fire fighting protection is preventing loss of life for both the employees and public.

Slap (2001) explains that to the public, emergency warning and communication system informs them on the existence of fire and therefore requires them to clear from the site of incidence and allow fire specialists to operate with minimal struggle in rescuing life and property. Particularly, road users are expected to cooperate in offering the best access to the site of emergency for the fire fighters vehicles either ferrying extinguishing water, chemicals, or ambulances transporting casualties.

Types of emergency warning and communication systems

In his review of disaster management systems, Pinkowski (2008) indicates that modernistic methods are critical in perfecting fire control considerations. In the public domain, outdoor warning sirens, citizen alert systems, and radio broadcasting system may be employed.

These techniques among others should be able to reach the maximum number of people near the fire occurrence area. After the Chicago fire in Chicago, voice broadcasting as well as other communication technologies was employed to alert people to keep away from the site of fire (Pinkowski, 2008). Provision of emergency warning and communication to the public were designed to provide guidelines and directions to the public as opposed to leaving them shocked of the incidence.

Besides, they were to provide the public with alternative routes to use in order to reduce traffic towards the area of fire occurrence in addition to giving information on the dangers of getting closer to the site and the need to provide effective environment for fire fighters operations.

Impact on codes and process from Chicago fire on modern fire prevention

Fire detection and suppression systems.

Over the years, since the great Chicago fire, the ability to address fire problems is based on a nation’s or society ability to effectively detect it at the earliest incidence possible. According to Li, Zlatanova and Fabbri (2007), it is essential that organizations prepare themselves effectively for emergency cases by establishing the best fire detection systems. Fire detection and suppression over the years have seen great advancement towards more intelligent systems with higher levels of efficiency in detecting and suppressing fire at the earliest stages possible.

Fire experts have accredited the last decade reduction in fire outbreak cases and indeed losses to the increased ability to detect and suppress fire at early stages. Though application of modernistic methods as Li, Zlatanova and Fabbri (2007) indicate have been highly limiting due to its inherent costs especially for small business units and individuals, their efficiency have been cited to be very high compared to the traditional methods. Some of the methods employed in the modern systems include.

Aspirating smoke detectors

This is a modernistic system that is based on smoke concentration to determine presence of fire. Damon (2007) indicates that this method employs a nephelometer which is fixed on an enclosed chamber within which smoke particles are sucked and detection recorded in terms of light scattering levels. Unlike the traditional methods where human sight was employed to detect presence of fire, aspirating smoke detector can be able to detect smoke even before the particles are visible to the naked eye. This method is highly effective when it is employed in a stable environment with a relatively constant air composition. It is critical that fire suppression system is established to prevent fire progression, extinguish it, and provide emergency service on time.

Vision based real-time early flame and smoke detectors

Following increasing concerns based on devastation on economic and ecologic outcomes of fire whenever they occur, more elaborate systems that can cover larger areas and provide more accurate information is essential. Vision based real-time early frame and smoke detector are surveillance systems that provides automated coordination that rely on spatial temporal characteristics of smoke and frames to determine the intensity of fire.

To bring out the actual intensity of fire during the outbreaks, this method compares smoke and colour histograms models which employ Continuous Adaptive Means Shift (CAMSHIFT) to determine the spatial temporal probability of frames in real time. This method as Keating (2004) indicates, require specialized skills in smoke and frame characteristics through algorithmic models for efficiency.

In addition, it requires application of specialized equipments and full time response units that can attend to the fire warning. Like the aspirant smoke detectors, this method calls for strong coordination between a local society and members of an organization or the fire department to promote efficacy of reduce the affects of fires.

Heat detectors

According to Li, Zlatanova and Fabbri (2007), fire detection can also be affected by assessing the rate of heat changes. The design of thermo detectors is based on the principle that in case of a fire outbreak, temperatures generally rise above the ambient levels which can be detected to either sign a warning or set on an automated suppression system. Notably, thermo detectors operate more effectively when located in indoor settings as opposed to the outdoor areas.

One major advantage of modern thermo-detectors is that they are able to record changes of temperatures in a progressive system that can be used to further ascertain presence of fire in a building. Unlike the vision based real time frame and smoke detectors, thermo detectors lack the ability to effectively establish the actual area that the fire may be originating from.

To add to that, there is need for constant maintenance to ensure high efficiency levels in detecting changes of temperatures and fires. To promote greater levels of efficiency using this method, specialists indicate that it should be employed alongside other methods of detection, suppression, and fire extinction.

Water-mist system

Water mist system is a suppressive application that is employed to protect high risk equipment like machines in factories and companies. They are also employed in areas that have high probabilities of igniting fires like machine rooms, kitchens, and stores for inflammable chemicals. Water mist system operates in an automated system where detectors that sense onset of fire are fixed to set water sprays towards then fire in action. Pinkowski (2008) indicates that this method has high levels of accuracy as it is targeted at the regions which have the highest possibilities of causing fire in a building or an industry.

At instances when the water system may be unable to suppress fire from its onset, it is still considered to be effective as it reduces the acceleration rates which can give people time to move away from the site of fire; a consideration that may reduce fatalities, destruction and also provide the fire fighters with time to launch their fighting mechanism well on time before major losses are incurred. Therefore, it is very crucial that emergency response units are always on the alert to supplement the operations of a water-mist system as a mechanism of promoting efficiency.

Lift Control and usage in fire situations

Over the years, lifts have been employed as some of the most effective mechanisms for climbing new heights of tall buildings with speed. However, the untold story of their operations is technologically complicated and can lead to malfunctioning during fires outbreaks. Control and use of lifts during fire outbreak is a critical component that dictates the efficacy that fire fighting units can achieve at any particular moment. In case of fire outbreaks, people should avoid using lifts and instead follow the emergency exits as a major precautionary measure.

After reports warning of fire outbreak through emergency warning systems, the lift controller should guide the lift to his point of control and immobilize it there after confirming that all the occupants are out. Though disagreements have constantly recurred over the best model to use lifts in cases of outbreaks, most of the emergency rescue experts give the following reasons. To begin with, operations of the lift may be affected by the fire and trap the occupants in it.

This may be very dangerous especially in cases where the fire is spreading with speed. Besides, use of lifts may pass through sections with frames and Smalley (2005) indicates that allowing use of lift during fire outbreaks would lead to overloading and possible malfunctioning during the emergency period. To guarantee efficacy in the rescue units, use of emergency foot stairs is considered the best option.

Though use of lifts is not recommended during events of emergencies, Austin and Roger (2007) indicate that special cases may require their monitored use to perfect fire protection mechanisms. To begin with very tall buildings are inconvenient for the occupants to take stairs to the ground floor. Use of lifts in this case assists them to easily move down and escape from the burning site.

Secondly, when the occupants of the buildings at the time of fire outbreak were characterized of people with disability, their ability to move down the stairs may be greatly compromised. Failure to offer the disabled people with an alternative route down stairs as Keating (2004) indicates is like condemning them to fire since they are helpless. For other cases like hospitals, use of lifts is accepted to assist in moving the patients from the danger scene. It is critical that use of lift during emergency period is effectively monitored to avoid confusions.

Fire fighters and air traffic controllers should also have access to the lifts as their tasks require speed and coordination to address the fire from the source and communicate to the public respectively. To promote efficiency in fire protection, modern building codes require that special lifts are established to improve efficiency in their fire fighting mechanisms and evacuation procedures.

Building evacuation systems

Evacuation systems entail removal of the people from the danger sites to regions of safety or hospital for treatments. Fire protection building evacuation systems seeks to ensure that all the people in a building are guided or taken to safety as fire is extinguished. Building evacuation systems requires strong planning, organization of the system, and careful supervision.

Organization of the building evacuation system requires a clear plan that defines the roles and responsibilities of different members of the evacuation team. Austin and Roger (2007) indicate that the participating members’ duties are complemented with respective equipments that are necessary for use in case of the need for evacuation (Lewinnek, 2003). Besides, effective evacuation policies and plans could be established to enhance better management and coordination with other departments.

Diagrams and evacuation routes should be effectively provided in a building. The policy should also provide for imminent danger definitions and determine how the central control should operate during evacuation.

Then evacuation should also include an effective detection reporting system on the situation which culminates to the decision of conducting evacuation in the building. At this point, Austin and Roger (2007) indicate that the evacuation team should operate in direct conjunction with all the other departments to make them understand their tasks and the expected conduct during fire outbreaks.

According to Austin and Roger (2007), the evacuation team should have a clear outline of their expected movements and operation during their operations. This is perhaps the most critical part of the system as it gives the necessary information of the equipments for suppressing fire especially to keep the exit routes free for all the people. Depending with the nature of a building, evacuation system may require that the group effectively possess special equipments like parachutes for evacuating people in tall buildings.

However, it would be incomplete to talk about an evacuation system without emphasizing on their communication. One critical element that determines the ability of an evacuation unit is its capacity to communicate among them effectively. As indicated earlier, evacuation is done to facilitate faster removal of people from their areas of high danger to safer points; therefore coordination is very critical to reduce panic and confusion.

Finally, en evacuation system should have an effective inspection and command system that provides the central command for the operations. This becomes very critical especially on tall buildings where coordination has to be effected at different heights. In addition, inspection and evaluation is essential as it offers the evacuation process undertaken with an assessment to determine how effective it was and provide recommendations for improvement in later emergencies (Ferguson & Christopher, 2007).

Emergency planning

An emergency planning involves establishing clear mechanisms of addressing emergencies in case of fire outbreaks in a building. Smalley (2005) explains that buildings management should understand that fires are emergencies and could arise any time unexpectedly. Notably, Smalley further indicates that present architectural designers incorporate the need for emergency fire address in their designs.

An emergency planning therefore requires a clear organization based on setting down different priorities for addressing fire problems when they arise. A coordinating team is them established and offered with the necessary training on the dynamics of fire and how to quench it in the most effective way to safe life and property.

A clear detection system, warning systems, and reporting mechanisms are also established to determine when an emergency has occurred and action that should begin. At this point, a central coordination unit becomes very critical to harmonize and immediately assess the extent of the fire to determine the best action in addressing it.

Particularly, highly decisive and intelligent leaders who are able to make fast decisions and generate chain-of commands without inferring panic are essential for coordination. This central unit should also have a clear interlink with the external fire suppression units to call for help when needed.

A two way communication system is also critical in determining how well the operators coordinate with the central command to report and execute various requirements (Slap, 2001). Besides, communication should also be effectively planned to warn other staff and public of the fire and guide the next moves. Finally, it should establish the roles expected of other members of staff during emergencies. It should include periodic capacity building and upgrading of the equipments and tools for use during various emergencies.

Conclusions

From the above discussion, it is clear that fire protection forms one of the most important aspects in the modern disaster management systems. It brings out the need to establish the necessary detectors and suppressors at the earliest possible moment to enhance the capacity to reduce its affects. It also came out clearly that effective fire protections involves careful preparations for any emergency with adequate skills and response mechanisms which assists in reducing the overall damage from a fire system.

However, it is essential that greater cooperation is established between all the organizations departments to enhance faster response and therefore reduce loss of life and property. A two way communication system is equally vital in determining how well fire fighters and other members involved in the rescue process can liaise with the central command in disseminating reports needed in the process.

In addition, effective communication should also be put in place to warn other staff and members of the public of any fire outbreak. Finally, there is critical need to establish various fire rescue roles among those participating in the rescues process so that duplication of roles and responsibilities is eliminated at all costs. As a matter of fact, part of the preparation should include periodic capacity building as well as training and upgrading of the equipment, tools and human resource to be used during such unexpected emergencies.

Austin, T. & Roger, G. (2007). Living on the edge: economic, institutional and management perspectives on wildfire hazard in the urban interface. London, Emerald Group Publishing.

Damon, P. (2007). Introduction to international disaster management London, Butterworth-Heinemann.

Ethington, P. J. (2002). The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory: The Journal of American History , 89(1), 328-329.

Ferguson, H. & Christopher, A. (2007). Fundamentals of fire protection for the safety professional . New York, Sage.

Keating, A. D. (2004). The Great Chicago Fire and the myth of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society , 97(2), 159-160.

Lewinnek, E. (2003). Domestic and respectable: suburbanization and social control after the Great Chicago Fire. Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies , (3), 20-38.

Li, J., Zlatanova, S. & Fabbri, A. (2007). Geomatics solutions for disaster management. Lisbon, Springer.

Pinkowski, J. (2008). Disaster Management Handbook . London, CRC Press.

Slap A. L. (2001). The strong arm of the military power of the United States: The Chicago fire, the Constitution, and reconstruction. Civil War History , 47(2), 146- 163.

Smalley, J. C. (2005). Protecting life and property from wildfire. Boston, Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

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IvyPanda. (2019, March 27). History of the Great Chicago Fire. https://ivypanda.com/essays/fire-prevention/

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Bibliography

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The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 Essay Example

The Great Chicago Fire burned as viciously as a roaring lion on the day of October 8th, 1871. Hence, the city of Chicago obtained over 200 million dollars in damages, an estimated 300 citizens in graves, and thousands of burned buildings. You could compare this to a roaring lion. The lion roars, then comes the run to its prey, and finally, the prey is eaten. The Chicago Fire of 1871 started as a small, harmless fire, but it resulted in a city of ruins with a substantial effect on Chicago’s future. Relatively, the unsolved mystery of the cause, the affected buildings that were burned to ashes, and the aftermath of the boomed economy of the Great Chicago fire all advance into Chicago’s history. 

People had various opinions on what caused the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. One article claims. “ Lee demanded the key to the alarm box that was mounted on the outside of the store. Bruno Goll refused to hand it over, insisting that a fire truck had already passed.” (The Great Fire ) This situation heavily impacted the Great Chicago Fire because as Lee headed back to his family’s house his house was about to catch on fire. Goll declared that fire trucks had already arrived, but they didn’t. This resulted in the firetrucks not being able to arrive at where they needed to.  A passage by the University of Michigan states, “There is one man who admitted to starting the fire.” According to the article, a man named “Louis Cohn'' and a few other young men were shooting dice in the hayloft, and then one of the boys accidentally overturned a lantern, which resulted in the barn setting a fire that would then turn into the Great Chicago Fire. (Umich.edu)  Northwestern University was the University that released this statement briefly before his death after Cohn turned his 35,000 dollar estate to them, In actuality, this story was supported by several facts, such as the fact that there are records of several Cohn's living within a walking distance of the barn. All in all, various theories are in place explaining what happened on October 8th, 1871 but there’s no confirmation of what accurately happened. 

The innumerable amount of buildings that were burned to the ground in this dreadful fire was astonishing. A document from National Geographic disclosed, “Buildings often had a single layer of fireproof material on the outside, hiding the wooden structure beneath.” Various buildings had a configuration similar to this, but it was not a very good one, considering how this fire proved this statement by burning entire buildings to the ground. One example of this “The Waterworks,” which was the main source of water for the city’s fire department. During the first few hours of the roaring fire, a burning ember attacked the roof of this building, and it was quickly destroyed. (National Geographic) Quoted by The Chicago Tribune, “Among its prey: Potter Palmer's hotel, Marshall Field's Marble Palace, the city's brothels and the Tribune building, a spanking new, four-story, "fireproof" structure.” One, in particular, the “Palmer Hotel,” was a newly constructed hotel that fell victim to the Great Chicago Fire only 13 days after its opening. (Palmer Hotel) The owner of this hotel was determined to reopen the building as soon as possible, so he rebuilt the Palmer Hotel and was able to open its doors in 1875 by labeling the building “The World’s Only Fire-Proof Hotel.” (Hotel News) In conclusion, a countless number of buildings were burned and destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. 

The aftermath of the Great Chicago fire heavily impacted Chicago’s economy and stability. “Reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth, as architects laid the foundation for a modern city featuring the world’s first skyscrapers,” conveys the paragraph. (History.com) An example of this is the fact that 6,000 temporary structures were built within a week. (Chicago Tribune) Not only that, the demand for laborers increased astoundingly, so salaries rose by a whopping amount, and farmers from as far away as 150 miles rode into the city for jobs. Another article quotes, “By 1890, the city was a major economic and transportation hub with an estimated population of more than 1 million people.” (History.com) This quote demonstrates how the economy of Chicago boomed after the fire by declaring the power this city had gained in less than 20 years. After the fire, morale was low, but it picked up soon after, and many people described it as “a phoenix, rising from the ashes” (“The Great Fire”) One example of this was the story of “Wilbur Storey.” He was the owner of the Chicago Times, and he had lost all hope for his newspaper. Wilbur thought that Chicago was gone, and he thought it was going to be the end of his newspaper. Fortunately, he saw various other newspapermen who were looking for ways to write, and he was inspired by all of them. Wilbur was able to get the Chicago Times up and running within ten days. Ultimately, after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, several efforts were made for the rise and stability of the city’s economy.

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Answers & Comments

Explanation:

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. Practically overnight the great city of Chicago was destroyed. Before the fire there was a large drought causing everything to be dry and flammable, then a fire broke out in the O’Leary’s barn and spread throughout the city. Many attempts were made to put out the fire but there were too many errors and problems in the beginning. After the fire many people were left homeless and had to help build their city again (Murphy, 39)

Before the fire broke out on sunday night, october 8, 1871 there had been a large drought causing everything to be dry and extremely flammable. many fires had been breaking out in chicago. records show that in 1870 the fire…show more content…, an anarchist group called the societe internatianale was blamed, and even a fire extinguisher salesman was accused because people say he was showing people how his product was useful. the editor of one paper said that a higher being was responsible and that god was balancing the acts done by the north to the south in the civil war. no one is sure how the fire started, but the o’learys were the scapegoats and got a lot of bad treatment after the fire (126). the fire spread from the o’learys’ barn to the yards nearby. soon it was spreading throughout the neighborhood. william lee, a neighbor a block away, saw the fire and ran to bruno goll’s drugstore to turn in the fire alarm. bruno goll refused to turn in the alarm because he said the fire truck had already gone past. so instead of arguing, lee went home to his family. at the courthouse the lookout on duty saw smoke, but thought nothing of it, thinking it was just saturday's fire and there was no reason to be alarmed. then he looked up and noticed it was a different fire and had his assistant strike the box 342 for the fire department. soon fire trucks were at the scene and attempted to put out the fire. the fire department’s chief marshal, robert a. williams got the engines to circle the fire to contain it. they got as close to the fire as they could until their arm hair was being burned and their, add an answer, question: which detail belongs in the analyzing area of the web a) at the offic..., alina is organizing her research about journalists who covered the 1871 chicago ..., read the sentence below about the chicago fire of 1871.sentence: claire innes be..., oxygen) , which is released into the air. i will mark brainliest..., question: what results will the scientist most likely obtain when placing drops ..., choose the word that best completes the blank in the analogy. spanish is to lang..., which best describes what is happening in the area marked y a) oxygen is releas..., read the excerpt from tools of the spymasterboth the british and the american, what does the xylem do -stores the glucose -captures the sunlight -absorbs o..., recommend questions, report "write an informative essay on the great chicago fire. your essay will use resear...", helpful links, helpful social.

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