LA Fires & Top 10 Worst Fires in Human History LA Fires : The Devastating Flames It is bad enough to wake up to a burning wall, let alone a wall of fire with everything burning. Fires are burning and heat is intense, smoke is heavy and people start getting worried. This is the reality of some of the worst fire scenarios that some of the worst fires in history present including the current LA Fires. From big fires that occurred in the past to the contemporary wild fires, such disasters are part of history records. To understand fire incidents more deeply, it is required to focus on the 10 worst fires that occurred in the world, including the LA Fires, which have been the main cause of destruction, and describe the cause of the fire, its consequences, and outcome. At the time of writing this article, Los Angeles is struggling with the destructive LA Fires that force people to evacuation and become homeless. The LA Fires themselves can narrate a very simple but significant message on fires and safety, prevention, and general fire prevention. The Top 10 Worst Fires in Human History 1. Peshtigo Fire (1871) : The Deadliest Wildfire in US History On this day in the year 1871, for about five days, the Peshtigo, Wisconsin area burnt in fire which was similar to the LA Fires. It is known that the Peshtigo Fire or Great Peshtigo Fire took lives of between 1500 and 2500 and engulfed more than 1,200,000 acres of land. 2. Cloquet Fire (1918) : A Minnesota Nightmare The Cloquet Fire or the Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire of October 12, 1918 burned a part of northern Minnesota as the recent LA Fires burned parts of California. 3. The Great Fire of Rome (64 AD) : A City in Ashes The Great Fire of Rome, perhaps one of the most dramatic fires in history, took place in 64 AD under the rule of Emperor Nero. This old fire tore through much of the city and claimed the lives of nearly 300 residents and destroyed part or all of 10 out of 14 districts in Rome. 4. The Great Fire of London (1666) : A City Reborn Order in London reignited from September 2 to September 6, 1666 and widely known as Great Fire of London. This historical fire lasted for 9 days and destroyed four-fifth of medieval London, and left 70,000 people without homes. 5. The Big Burn (1910) : Great Fire of 1910 Getting to the Epicentre of a Wildfire of Epic Proportions What people call the Big Burn, Great Fire of 1910, or a great big fire that burned in Washington, Idaho and Montana from 20 August to 1 September, 1910. It burned for three million acres and claimed the lives of 87 people. 6. Black Saturday Bushfires (2009) : Australia’s Darkest Day Black Saturday Bushfires  refer to a chain of devastating bush fires that occurred in Victoria in Australia on 7th February 2009. It took 173 lives and burnt more than a million acres of land and thousands of people lost their homes. 7. Great Hinckley Fire (1894) : A Minnesota Tragedy The Great Hinckley Fire was one of the large fires that destroyed Hinckley, Minnesota and vicinity on September 1 1894. The fire burned through over 200,000 acres of land and took about 400 lives. 8. 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire : A Canadian Catastrophe Fort McMurray wildfire 2016 was one of the largest fire disasters in the history of Canada that led to the evacuation of about 80,000 people between the May 1 to July 5, 2016. This disaster made it claimed about 1.5 million acres of area and affected about $3.5 billion. 9. Great Chicago Fire (1871) : A City in Flames The Great Chicago Fire was a great conflagration that burnt the city of Chicago, in Illinois in the United States of America within three days from 8 October 1871. This famous fire consumed most of this city, and as many as 300 persons perished in it while thousands were left without shelter. 10. The Great Fire Of Meireki (1657) : A Tokyo Inferno Great Meireki fire was a great fire that destroyed much of the city of Edo, Japan on 2 March, 1657. This ancient catastrophe caused the death of one hundred thousand people. Impacts This is felt to leave in its wake consequences that are wider than the sort of loss of properties and lives. However, fires like the LA Fires have severe impacts within the environment, and within the economy and mental wellbeing of communities. Some of the wildfires can lead to erosion of soil and development of landslides and also change the ecosystem of the region. Furthermore, the financial expense of reconstructing and restoration from a terrible fire disaster can be immeasurable, in terms of billions of dollars. Also, the shock resultant to a terrible fire event may cause post-traumatic stress disorder or other diseases, in children and special groups of people. When thinking of the past fire tragedies, one needs to focus on the social, economical and environmental consequences of the fires. Thus, it might be possible to increase the effectiveness of the actions taken at the community level in order to minimize the likelihood and intensiveness of the fires similar to the LA Fires. This implies funding of prevention and controlling measures, fire management measures, and fire breaks; support and resources for fire affected communities. The reactive approach to fire management puts a community at the receiving end and dangerous fires claim lives and properties, a proactive approach lessens the effect of such fires hence fostering sustainable development. Conclusion Whenever there are destructive fires like the LA Fires individuals are reminded of flames, fire safety, fire prevention, and fire prevention measures. Every time there are destructive fires, people are reminded of flames, fire safety, prevention as well as preparedness. Share Your Thoughts. Visit for more such Top 10 Lists.  Do you, or someone you