The deadliest fires then and now
Description
Perfect for fans of I Survived and the Who Was series, and packed with graphics, photos, and facts for curious minds, this is a gripping look at the deadliest fires in American history.
As the sun sank over the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, one warm October night in 1871, a smoky haze hung in the dry air. There had been little rain, and small fires had been rolling through town continuously since the summer. For weeks the people had tried to protect their homes and businesses from fire. But they could not protect themselves from what would culminate in the deadliest fire in American history.
As industrialization surged across the country, and Westward colonization leveled forests to build cities, fires became a mainstay in American life. And as populations grew, so too did the human toll that fire could exact. Through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Americans searched for new and innovative ways to combat the threat of fire. And with climate change threatening to set the whole world aflame, we are once again in a fight for our planet’s future.
Through the eyes of scientists, witnesses, and survivors of terrible fires alike, Sibert Honor author Deborah Hopkinson brings the horrific history of deadly fires to life, tracing a line from the Peshtigo and Great Chicago fires of 1871 to the wildfires raging in the western United States today. Filled with more than 50 period photographs and illustrations, facts, and pull-out boxes for eager nonfiction readers.
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9781338360233
133836023
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Published Reviews
Kirkus Book Review
This history of deadly fires draws attention to the need for changes in both fire prevention and firefighting. Hopkinson surveys 150 years of American fire disasters to show how outmoded practices and a warming climate have led to greater recognition of the need for different approaches, including adopting Indigenous practices of active forest management. The award-winning nonfiction writer engages readers with an accessible, conversational narrative as well as interesting information. She initially draws them in with a gripping first-person account of the atmosphere in fire-threatened Peshtigo, Wisconsin, in 1871, the site of the deadliest fire in U.S. history. She then describes the chronological organization of the material into three sections: the great Midwestern fires of the 19th century; 20th-century events, including fires in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, New York City's Triangle Waist Company fire, and the devastating fire in an abusive institution for Black boys in Wrightsville, Arkansas; and finally, 2018's Camp Fire in Northern California. The first-person accounts, taken from historical documents and featuring diverse voices, add immediacy. Paintings and photographs break up the text; unfortunately, the art is reproduced in black and white, lessening the impact. There are also short informational essays, explanations of the role of primary sources in this kind of research, and invitations to readers to explore further interspersed among the chapters and as part of the backmatter. A timely and compelling introduction to fire disasters. (activities, glossary, quiz, resources, bibliography, source notes, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.