Table 4 Notable Euro-American settlement era wildfires in the Lake States organized by percentage of ecoregions (n = 8) in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan detected with fire-scars and then chronologically
Fire Year | States | % Regions | Event(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
1891 | WI, MI | 78 | Comstock Fire 260 km2—WI (May) |
1910 | MN, WI, MI | 67 | Baudette-Spooner Fire—2nd largest in MN (Oct.) |
1900 | WI | 56 | Chequamegon Bay, Menominee River (May) |
1864 | MN, WI | 44 | Little Souix (BWCAWa)—MN, northcentral WI |
1868 | WI | 44 | Fires in northcentral, Kewaunee and Door counties NE (Sep.) |
1894 | MN, WI | 44 | Phillips Fire—8 counties in WI (Jul.); Hinckley Fire, Lac La Croix Fire (BWCA)—largest in MN (Sep.) |
1918 | MN | 44 | Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire—4th largest in MN |
1923 | WI | 44 | Fires |
1854 | WI | 33 | Single fire runs from Amery to Iron River, 225 km |
1863 | MN, WI | 33 | Alice-Saganaga Fire—3rd largest in MN > 1000 km2 |
1871 | WI, MI | 33 | Peshtigo Fire—WI (Oct.), Great MI Fire > 10,000 km2 (Oct.) |
1881 | MI | 33 | 3885 km2—MI thumb (Sep.) |
1897 | WI | 33 | Fires |
1908 | WI, MI | 33 | Mosinee (1907–1908), Wausau, Rhinelander, Bayfield-WI (Apr.); Chisholm Fire—MN (Sep.); Metz Fire—Lower MI (Oct.) |
1920 | WI | 33 | “Widespread fire”—Central Sands; major losses Douglas County—NWS (Oct.) |
1936 | WI, MI | 33 | “Worst year of fires in Upper Peninsula” (UP) MI |
1874 | MI | 22 | Major fire year—lower central MI |
1875 | MN | 22 | Insula Ogishkemuncie (BWCAWa) |
1879 | MI | 22 | Major fire year—lower central MI |
1880 | WI | 22 | Sep. fires |
1887 | WI | 22 | Marshfield burned (Jun.) |
1893 | WI | 22 | “A disastrous fire” Central Sands |
1896 | WI, MI | 22 | Ironwood, Hurley-WI; Ontonagon fire (> 900 km2)-UP MI |
1898 | WI | 22 | Barron and Polk Counties—WI (Sep.) |
1930 | WI | 11 | 1295 km2 burned in Central Sands |
1931 | MN, WI | 0 | Red Lake “Dust Bowl” Fire—MN (Sep.) |