# Canonical recap data for Peshtigo Fire (1871)
# Source: https://recap.at/1871/peshtigo-fire
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: peshtigo-fire
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1871/peshtigo-fire"
title: Peshtigo Fire
subtitle: Wisconsin's deadliest wildfire killed over 1,000 people but was overshadowed by Chicago's Great Fire the same day.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1871-10-08
datePrecision: day
year: 1871
decade: 1870
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The Peshtigo Fire was a large wildfire on October 8, 1871, in northeastern Wisconsin, United States, including much of the southern half of the Door Peninsula and adjacent parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The largest community in the affected area was Peshtigo, Wisconsin, which had a population of approximatel
summaryLong: The Peshtigo Fire was a large wildfire on October 8, 1871, in northeastern Wisconsin, United States, including much of the southern half of the Door Peninsula and adjacent parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The largest community in the affected area was Peshtigo, Wisconsin, which had a population of approximately 1,700 residents. The fire burned about 1.2 million acres (490,000 ha) and is the deadliest wildfire in recorded history, with the number of deaths estimated between 1,500 and 2,500. The exact number of deaths is debated. Data from mass graves, both those already exhumed and those still being discovered, show that the death toll of the blaze was most likely greater than the 1889 Johnstown flood death toll of 2,200 people or more.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/PeshtigoFireExtend.png/1280px-PeshtigoFireExtend.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Peshtigo fire"
importance: 74
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_fire"
  title: Peshtigo fire
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: The Peshtigo Fire was a large wildfire on October 8, 1871, in northeastern Wisconsin, United States, including much of the southern half of the Door Peninsula a
wikidataQid: Q3244543
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260601010405/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_fire"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-01
  label: Peshtigo fire
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_fire"
