1918 fires program is Saturday

With the 103rd anniversary of the 1918 fires approaching on Oct. 12, there are no longer elders who can tell the tales of watching hoops of fire roll down the hill near the St. Louis River in Cloquet or cars missing the turn near Kettle River and driving straight into the fire, blinded by smoke. They have passed on, leaving behind well documented memories of that terrible day and its aftermath.

For the 100th anniversary of the fires three years ago, there were events nearly every month by a group of regional historical societies. This year the Moose Lake Historical Society will hold a 1918 Fires program starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Soo Line Event Center in Moose Lake.

They are called the 1918 Fires because there were really five or six major fires and numerous smaller ones, all distinct. The Cloquet fire extended from west of Brookston all the way to the Lakeside neighborhood of Duluth. While that fire destroyed the majority of homes and businesses in Cloquet, residents were able to flee via train to Duluth or Superior, or by car to nearby Carlton.

“From the burning lumber yards, flaming timbers borne by the 65 mph wind were flying through the air like shooting stars setting simultaneous fires in various parts of the city,” wrote fire survivor Emmet O’Brien.

Those hit by the smaller fire in Moose Lake and Kettle River weren’t so fortunate. It was much more deadly. That fire burned from just north of McGregor southeast to Sturgeon Lake and a few miles past Moose Lake.

More than 450 people were killed in the 1918 Fires — many in the Moose Lake and Kettle River area — another 2,100 were injured. Property damage reached $25 million in the seven northeastern Minnesota counties in the 1,500-square-mile zone that the fires burned through.

Saturday’s event in Moose Lake will include a program focused on the recovery and rebuilding after the horrific 1918 Fires starting at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Memory candles will be for sale at the door; masks are required. Call 218-485-4234 for more information.