Prompt Cast
The Mystery of the Great Peshtigo Fire: Could a Comet or Meteor be to Blame?
TLDR The Great Peshtigo Fire in 1871, one of the deadliest fires in American history, may have been caused by a comet or meteor, as eyewitness accounts describe fire raining from the sky and massive fireballs burning until they hit the ground. New data from other fires in the same year could help solve the mystery.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Great Peshtigo Fire in 1871, the deadliest fire in American history, may have been caused by a highly unusual source, and new data from other fires could help solve the mystery.
01:42
The Great Peshtigo Fire in 1871 was one of the deadliest fires in American history, with between 1200 and 2500 people killed in a firestorm caused by hot and dry conditions.
02:51
The Great Peshtigo Fire reached temperatures of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, created a fire whirl, and caused widespread destruction and loss of life, with some victims never being identified or found.
03:58
In addition to the Peshtigo fire, there were other fires in Wisconsin and across Lake Michigan in 1871 that caused destruction and loss of life, although not as severe as the Peshtigo fire.
04:56
The Port Huron fire in 1871 caused heavy damage and an estimated 50 deaths, while the Great Chicago Fire left over 100,000 people homeless and killed over 300 people, leading to the complete rebuilding of Chicago and the creation of strict fire codes.
05:54
On the night of October 8th, 1871, several of the largest fires in U.S. history occurred in the same geographical area around the Great Lakes, leading to the theory that a single extraterrestrial cause, such as fragments of a comet or meteor, may have sparked the fires.
07:03
The Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871 may have been caused by a comet or meteor, as eyewitness accounts describe fire raining from the sky and massive fireballs burning until they hit the ground.
