In 1871, Chicago was the fastest growing city in the world. Built almost entirely of wood, it was also a tinderbox. That October, a severe drought ravaged the city. Fires ignited constantly, and Chicago’s firefighters were at their breaking point. But the worst was yet to come.
On a hot, windy night, a fire broke out in a barn owned by Irish immigrants Cath ... Show More
Feb 2021
Great Chicago Fire | Fleeing the Flames | 2
<p>Just before midnight on October 8, 1871, the inferno that had ravaged Chicago’s West Side leapt the Chicago River. A wall of flames surged toward downtown, threatening to devour Chicago’s most magnificent hotels, offices, and government buildings. Mayor Roswell B. Mason raced ... Show More
35m 45s
Sep 2022
Wildfire in Paradise | Ignition | 1
<p>In the early morning of November 8, 2018, a faulty electrical line sparked a fire in the woods of Butte County, California. Spurred on by high winds and dry brush from extreme drought, the fire spread faster than anyone had ever seen before. In a little over an hour, it arrive ... Show More
44m 39s
Sep 2023
Granite Mountain Hotshots Disaster | The Spark | 1
<p>On June 28th, 2013, lightning sparks a wildfire near the town of Yarnell in central Arizona. Fueled by dry conditions, the fire quickly spreads. To contain the blaze, local officials call in elite crews of firefighters known as hotshots. One team, the Granite Mountain Hotshots ... Show More
47m 34s
Apr 2023
Fire at Sea: Cruise Ship Rescue | The Blaze | 1
<p>In October of 1980, the luxury cruise ship Prinsendam set sail from Vancouver with more than 300 passengers aboard, many of whom were elderly. But just after midnight on the cruise’s fourth day, in the Gulf of Alaska, a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room. The crew b ... Show More
41m 41s