Understanding the realities of the 1871 fires

OCONTO – The Oconto County Historical Society hosted retired Green Bay Metro Fire Department Captain David Siegel on Sept. 3 for his “Understanding the Realities of the 1871 Fires” lecture as a part of their monthly Speaker Series.

Siegel served with the fire department from 1997 to 2023, with his final two years being spent as captain. He was also a paramedic and science officer for the hazardous materials team, which gave him professional insight that aided his interest in history.

After retiring, Siegel spent his free time in the UW-Green Bay Archives and Area Research Center to learn more about how firefighting has changed and evolved over the decades.

In 2016, Siegel wrote “Forces of Change: Events That Led to the Development of the Green Bay Fire Department, 1836 - 1895.” Following this, he developed the lecture “Understanding the Realities of the 1871 Fires” as a part of the 150th anniversary of the Belgian Heritage Center in 2021.

He explained the circumstances of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire, noting that, “in the weeks before October 8, there were numerous fires in the woods throughout this whole region, small fires burning that had been left [behind].”

Siegel established that human negligence was a driving force as fires were left unattended and forgotten by railroad crews, homesteaders, hunters and loggers during a dry autumn. Severe straight-line winds swept through the region and picked up the fires.

“These fires grew, combined and started what is known as a firestorm,” he explained.

The firestorm raged between Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, 1871, destroying communities and resulting in at least 1,200 deaths — a tragedy that left people trying to understand what had occurred.

Drawing from his biochemistry background, Siegel tackled myths and misconceptions that have been widely believed. One of the biggest misunderstandings is the incorrect belief that wind carried burning debris across the Bay of Green Bay to the Door Peninsula.

“About 20 years ago, modern meteorologists took data from 1871, put it in a computer model and were able to demonstrate that on Oct. 8 the wind was going from the [southwest],” Siegel shared.

Additionally, he quoted survivors that mentioned a wind coming from the southwest and noted that fires occurred in communities southwest of Peshtigo — like New Franken in Brown County — and grew larger hours before Peshtigo burned.

While firsthand accounts are an important place to draw from, Siegel noted that modern science can be used to shed light on some of the confusing stories left behind.

Survivors reported finding bodies that looked physically unharmed as well as seeing unexplainable orbs, balloons and dark balls of gas. He said that people who breathed in the superheated air — which came in patchy waves — would have died nearly instantly from blistered airways and suffocation. Siegel also added that survivors recounting unexplainable memories is a common trait when the mind struggles to understand the trauma and terror it has been through.

“That is human nature — when confronted with the horrors of imminent death, the mind is not able to function like it can normally,” he said.

In the face of tragedy, Siegel spoke about how Wisconsinites from across the state banded together to show their support. Letters from then-governor Lucius Fairchild recorded relief efforts that were based out of Green Bay and provided support for nearly a decade.

“Whether it’s 1871 or right now, when a community loses everything the rest of society needs to step forward and say, ‘Yes, I will help those people out.’”

Siegel’s book “Forces of Change, Events That Led To The Development Of The Green Bay Fire Department, 1836-1895” can be purchased at gbfd.history@gmail.com. Follow Green Bay Fire Department History on Facebook to learn more.

The next Speaker Series will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Beyer Home and Carriage Museum, located at 915 Park Ave. The topic will be announced on the Oconto County Historical Society Facebook page.