- published: 25 Oct 2012
- views: 342
The 1918 Cloquet fire was a massive fire in northern Minnesota, United States in October, 1918, caused by sparks on the local railroads and dry conditions. The fire left much of western Carlton County devastated, mostly affecting Moose Lake, Cloquet, and Kettle River. Cloquet was hit the hardest by the fires. It was the worst natural disaster in Minnesota history in terms of the number of lives lost in a single day. In total, 453 lives were lost and 52,000 people were injured or displaced, 38 communities were destroyed, 250,000 acres (1,000 km2) were burned, and $73 million (US$ 1.148 billion in 2016) in property damage was suffered. Thirteen million dollars in Federal aid was disbursed.
Carlton County was known for its logging industry during the early 1900s. Similar to other forest fires, the disaster took place over dry, harvested land which was vulnerable to potential fire destruction. The main workforce employing the majority of the area was the logging industry. The railroad industry, which was established in 1870 was a great boost for the logging industry. In 1874, a large lumber mill was built alongside the lake shore. The mill along the river gathered and floated logs down river, where they would be assembled and sawed for retail. When the logging industry was at its peak, one could walk across the lake due to the amount of logs covering the lake area.
Weather History: 1918 Cloquet Fire
1918 fire final
Bob Nordquist - Cloquet, MN - 1918 (New Version)
Cloquet, MN - 1918 (cover of the Bob Nordquist song)
25 Most Destructive Wildfires Ever Recorded In History
5 Biggest Fires in History best working
CLOQUET FIRE AFTERMATH
2013 Bush Prize Winner | Cloquet Area Fire District
Forest Fires (1918)
10 13 13 Moose Lake Fire 1918