the great Hinckley firestorm of 1894
On September 1, 1894, two forest fires converged on the town of Hinckley, Minnesota, and the surrounding area, trapping more than 2,000 people. The resulting firestorm was so intense it burned 350,000 acres in five hours and created its own weather, including hurricane-strength winds, bubbles of plasma-like glowing gas, and 200-foot-tall columns of flames. Temperatures reached 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit---the melting point of steel. The firestorm became a conflagration more powerful than multiple atomic bombs. As fire surrounded the town, two trains running a gauntlet of fire became the only means of escape. More than 400 people died and six towns were completely destroyed. The results of this fire led to a revolution in forestry management practices and federal agencies that monitor and fight wildfires. Written by the grandson of a man who survived the fire as a child and whose great-grandfather lost his life in the fire, this book is a riveting account of what our immigrant and pioneering ancestors endured in their search for better lives.
