The 1918 fires that devastated large swaths of land in several counties, including parts of Pine, Carlton and St. Louis counties, began 100 years ago on Friday.
To mark the anniversary, the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Friday as 1918 Fires Remembrance Day and is encouraging county residents to attend two upcoming historical programs about the fires. The Hermantown, Proctor, Esko and Canosia historical societies are hosting an event at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hermantown High School, and the St. Louis County Historical Society is hosting an event at noon Oct. 18 at the Depot in downtown Duluth. The hourlong program "Fires of 1918" is also scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Friday on WDSE-TV.
It was the worst natural disaster in Minnesota history and the second-worst natural disaster nationally after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Bob Swanstrom of the Hermantown Historical Society told the county board at its meeting Tuesday. The fires killed 453 people, destroyed 250,000 acres and displaced 11,000 families, he said.
"The people who came back were the real survivors. For these survivors, they deserve to be remembered and their struggles not forgotten," Swanstrom said.
