One-Fifth Of New Brunswick’s Forests Burned In 1825

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Tony Heller

The Great Miramichi Fire refers to a massive forest fire (or series of fires) which devastated forests and communities throughout much of northern New Brunswick in October 1825. It ranks among the three largest forest fires ever recorded in North America. About 1/3 of the homes in Fredericton were destroyed, but the main devastation was 100 miles (160 km) to the northeast. On the evening of October 7, 1825, the firestorm roared through Newcastle, New Brunswick (now part of the City of Miramichi), and in less than 3 hours reduced the town of 1,000 people to ruins – of 260 original buildings, only 12 remained. Only 6 of 70 buildings survived in the adjacent village of Douglastown. The fire similarly destroyed other communities, including Moorefield, Napan, and Black River. Chatham, Nelson, and Doaktown escaped the fire. The cause of the blaze is not known, but was likely of human origin.[1]

To escape the blaze many residents took refuge with livestock and wildlife in the Miramichi River – about 160 people died in and around Newcastle, including prisoners in the Newcastle Jail. Elsewhere, the totals were likely higher, given the number of lumbermen in the forests at the time (about 3000).[2]

In total the fire(s) consumed almost 16,000 km² (about 1/5 of New Brunswick’s forests). The blaze has been partly attributed to unusually hot weather in the fall and summer of 1825, coupled with outdoor fires by settlers and loggers.[2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miramichi_Fire

About Tony Heller

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4 Responses to One-Fifth Of New Brunswick’s Forests Burned In 1825

  1. Andy WeissDC says:
    June 13, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    At least that was a natural fire, as opposed to today’s unnatural fires.

    Reply
  2. Jimbo says:
    June 14, 2011 at 12:10 am

    There is a silver lining in every cloud. 🙂

    Natural fire frequency for the eastern Canadian boreal forest: consequences for sustainable forestry
    “Results showed a dramatic decrease in fire frequency that began in the mid-19th century and has been accentuated during the 20th century. Although all areas showed a similar temporal decrease in area burned, we observed a gradual increase in fire frequency from the west to Abitibi east, followed by a slight decrease in central Quebec. The global warming that has been occurring since the end of the Little Ice Age (~1850) may have created a climate less prone to large forest fires in the eastern boreal forest of North America. ”
    http://tinyurl.com/4nzcllh

    Reply
  3. Douglas Hoyt says:
    June 14, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    This is the same year that hundreds of thousands of acres in maine burned over including all of Baxter State Park and surrounding areas. Because lumbering became impossible in that area for many years afterwards, it was one reason the park was created. During the fire, smoke was seen as far south as New York. People had to immerse themselves in streams to save their lives from the fires.

    Reply

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