“Really, the fire was a simple episode, rather than a crisis; an experiment, to test of what stuff she was made .... As such an experiment, the fire was a success, and its result extremely gratifying."
- Everett Chamberlin, Chicago resident during the fire
- Everett Chamberlin, Chicago resident during the fire
Commonly designated as the most destructive fire in American history, the 1871 Chicago Fire is also perhaps the most significant. Sweeping clean decades of progress, the blaze fueled decades more of fire awareness and architectural development in safety, technology, and efficiency. Spurred by the sight of a ruined Chicago, human resilience and determination drove the city forward with a single purpose: to rebuild greater and better than before. Like a phoenix, modern Chicago is reborn from its ashes.
A CITY OF SKYSCRAPERS
NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed every year during the weekend that Oct 9 falls on to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire. Today, the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) is responsible for establishing stringent building codes for fire protection as well as promoting fire awareness. |
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23XUPENfeUU)
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“Fired Up for Fire Safety" was created by NFPA specifically for this year [2008]'s Fire Prevention Week campaign (October 5-11). It includes three two-minute animated videos starring cartoon character Dan Doofus. Dan has to learn the hard way how to prevent home fires the correct way. [Original Caption] |
“There was [sic] many people that have said the Chicago fire was the best thing that could have ever happened to Chicago."
- Tim Samuelson, Chicago historian
- Tim Samuelson, Chicago historian