Great Fire of 1922

The Great Fire of 1922 was a wildfire burning through the Lesser Clay Belt in the Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada, from October 4 to 5, 1922.

Fire rangers, anticipating the upcoming "burn" season, had requested to stay in the area but were not granted permission.

In the fall when burning permits were no longer required, farmers and settlers started to set small bush fires to clear the land.

Dry conditions had persisted past the usual "burn" season and on October 4, the wind turned into hurricane-force gales, fanning the flames out of control and combining the brush fires into one large inferno.

[5] Furthermore, the fire had consumed all the nearby forests, causing a severe shortage of firewood and forcing people for many years to travel far in order to obtain it.