The fire sent enough soot and ash up into the atmosphere that sunlight was partially obscured at many locations on the East Coast of the United States.
In New England cities, the sky appeared yellow and projected a strange luminosity onto buildings and vegetation.
[3] August and the first days of September 1881 were hotter than usual,[4] and the Thumb had had a rain deficit since April; in Thornville, this period was the driest registered up to 1969.
The fire continued to spread through Tuesday and Wednesday, September 6 and 7, consuming most of Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac and Lapeer counties.
[8] The early settlers used bucket brigades to protect their houses and barns, but they were no match for the raging fires.