The Fire
September 1, 1894 began as a sunny day in Hinckley. By about noon a cloud of smoke covered the town. At 1 PM the fire gong called all the town's firefighters to the engine house to ready for the growing threat. At 1:30 PM the wind from the south increased in speed.
The firefighters tried to set up a firebreak to hold back the advancing flames, but by 3:30 PM they realized all hope was lost. They heard a roar and felt intense heat before they gave up and ran for their lives.
What was now upon the residents of Hinckley was a firestorm. A firestorm ignites the gases in the air that feeds it and consumes everything down to the subsoil.
The accompanying wind was powerful. Accounts say that there was a tornado of fire. Mrs. Ida Gustafson Billings claimed, "The wind was so powerful, it lifted me right off my feet and carried me for blocks". |