Hinckley, Minnesota, Fire (1894)

Cause and Devastating Effects

In the late 19th century, contemporary lumber industry practices involved stripping trees of branches before they were cut down, with the branches left littering the ground. This practice, coupled with dry conditions, created an environment where fire could spread very quickly. The situation was exacerbated by the then-common technique of clearing farmland by burning it over. Although this exercise was easy and inexpensive, it could have disastrous consequences. A farm-clearing fire is believed to have started the Hinckley Fire, although sparks generated from a passing train may also have been responsible.

The Hinckley Gire is notable for its ferocity, which was caused in part by weather conditions. A temperature inversion on September 1, 1894, caused a deviation from the normal change of atmospheric property with height, resulting in higher temperatures at higher altitudes with a layer of cool air above. This temperature inversion aggravated the effects of the Hinckley Fire, causing noxious gases, ashes, and other debris to be trapped above the flames. When the two fires joined to form the Hinckley Fire, a firestorm ensued. Firestorms attain enough intensity to create their own wind system as the original fire draws in surrounding air, directing strong gusts inward toward the fire. The Hinckley Fire drew in great quantities of oxygen, which significantly increased the fire's rate of combustion, which in turn greatly increased air temperatures.

Hinckley's structures were built almost exclusively of wood from the surrounding pine forests, which made them especially susceptible to fire. Individuals seeking to flee the fire were often trapped, with many survivors hiding in wells or submerging themselves in ponds. Approximately 500 individuals escaped from Hinckley by boarding two trains that were able to negotiate the trip out of town. In addition to Hinckley, the fire destroyed or severely damaged other municipalities, including Brook Park, Mission Creek, and Sandstone.

News of the Hinckley Fire spread quickly, in part because of a telegraph operator who gave his life to stay at his post. On the following day, a relief train arrived from St. Paul containing provisions and tents. The next day, another train arrived with over 5,000 board feet of lumber and Frank G. Webber, who was charged with locating and burying the dead. In all, 233 corpses were located, although additional bodies were discovered for years after the initial relief effort. The heat from the Hinckley Fire had been intense, melting barrels of nails and fusing train cars in a rail yard to their tracks. The Pine County coroner officially declared 415 people dead, although some suspect the number was closer to 800. Boston Corbett, the Union Army soldier who shot and killed John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, is believed to have perished as a result of the Hinckley Fire.

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