The Great Chicago Fire: Shocking Photos That Will Leave You Speechless

On the evening of October 8, 1871, over 300,000 residents of Chicago went to bed expecting a quiet night. Instead, they faced a devastating inferno that forced them to flee toward Lake Michigan or the open prairie.
From October 8 to the morning of October 10, the Great Chicago Fire ravaged over 2,600 acres (1,052 hectares), destroying 18,000 buildings, from modest homes to grand mansions. Remarkably, fewer than 300 lives were lost, but more than 90,000 people were left homeless, with only the clothes on their backs and a few belongings.
By late October 9, rain began to fall, but the fire had already begun to burn out, having thoroughly consumed the densely populated areas before reaching the north side.