The great Thumb Fire took place on September 5, 1881 in the Thumb area of Michigan in the United States. The fire, which burned over a million acres (4,000 km²) in less than a day, was the consequence of drought, hurricane-force winds, heat, the after-effects of the Port Huron Fire of 1871 and the ecological damage wrought by the era's logging techniques.

The blaze, also called the Great Thumb Fire, the Great Forest Fire of 1881 and the Huron Fire, killed 282 people in Sanilac, Lapeer, Tuscola and Huron counties. The damage estimate was $2,347,000.

The Thumb Fire, which reportedly began in Tuscola County, was the first natural disaster served by the American Red Cross.

See also

• Peshtigo Fire
• Great Chicago Fire

External link

• Chart of the Burnt District of Michigan - Map of Thumb Fire Impact