by Cicely Richard

Created on: November 14, 2008   Last Updated: December 30, 2008

The significance of the Great Seattle Fire can be measured by the way the city handled the situation after the fire occurred. Had it not been for the fire that burned a considerable amount of the city, the metropolis as we know it today may not have come into existence. The fire exposed a number of inadequacies within the city's infrastructure and uncovered its lack of resources. Yet, in order to view the city after the fire, an understanding of how the fire started in the first place is necessary.

On June 6, 1889, the fire started in Victor Clairmont's basement cabinet shop when a pot of glue ignited. At the time, wooden structures dominated Seattle, and the city did not have a continually operating fire department. Volunteer fire fighters could not contain the flames, and they rapidly spread from the cabinet shop to other locations within the city. In addition, the dry, windy weather contributed to the extensive devastation experienced in the city. A total of 64 acres lay in ruins when it was over.

The Great Seattle Fire not only destroyed the city; it left a number of business owners in trouble. Minority and immigrant businesses suffered major losses. The fire destroyed African-American businesses, including a hotel, two barbershops, a shoe shop, and an employment agency. Asian-American businesses suffered similar losses. However, the complete devastation helped Seattle's leaders reevaluate a number of systems within the city.

Because volunteers firefighter failed to contain the flames, modifications occurred to make fighting fires more efficient. The city decided that it should not depend on volunteer any longer and established the Seattle Fire Department on October, 17, 1889. Volunteer firefighter Gardner Kellogg became the first chief of the department, and the city hired 32 new fire fighters. Unlike unpaid fighters, these men received a salary for their work and were trained.

In addition to the establishment of a fire department, the city of Seattle revamped its water system. During the Great Fire, volunteer fire fighters could not contain the flames due to an inadequate water supply and rapidly drained the private water supplies in the city. When insurance investigators examined the city's ability to handle fires, they found the city liable. However, after the fire, the city revised their way of handling these situations. On June 4, 1890, voters approved the city's plan to purchase Spring Hill Water Company as its public water system.

Once Seattle created the means to effectively fight fires, Mayor Robert Moran reconceptualized the way the city was built. Before the Great Fire, the city used wood building materials. After the fire, people used brick and stone to rebuild the structures. Thanks to the efforts of city leaders and citizens, the city, including Pioneer Square, exists as we see it today.

Sources:

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?k eyword=Great+Seattle+Fire+&DisplayPage=results.cfm&Submit=Go

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