Snake bite, gun shot, bandits and bad water were just a few of the hazards frontier residents faced on a daily basis. One of the most common, however, was fire.
Many of the West’s iconic towns suffered devastating fires and were rebuilt only to burn again. It was the risk the fortune hunters were willing to take in the boom and bust era.
Fire was a hazard for everyone back in the day. (left, 1866 fire, Portland, Maine) An open flame was required for nearly every human necessity – heat, light and food – but the frequency of fires on the left side of the Mississippi was due to a combination of uncommon factors.
Climate for starters. It was, and still is statistically dryer, windier and often hotter than other parts of the country. Of the dozen most western states, nine receive less than 20 inches of rain annually. And with the exception of the eastern seaboard, Western and prairie states experience nearly double the number of windy days than the rest of the country. Plus California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, consistently register some of the highest daytime temperatures in the hemisphere.
It turns out another factor was manmade – an innovation by two well-meaning Chicago carpenters. In the early 1830s, Augustine Taylor and George W. Snow developed “balloon framing.” The technique cut construction costs dramatically and didn’t require dozens of skilled craftsmen. The idea quickly spread to the West. It seemed like a really good idea at the time.
An enterprising saloon keeper in Arizona could be tapping kegs in a matter of days with a crew of two, a couple of hammers, a handful of nails and some locally available green lumber. Two story exterior walls were constructed flat on the ground, the completed sections hoisted into place and nailed together. It was quick, cheap, easy – – and a virtual chimney that could burn a building to the ground in a matter of minutes once ignited.
This combination of climate, pitch-filled timber and balloon framing was a nearly fool-proof recipe for disaster, according to Atlanta architect Don Blair. He’s made a study of traditional construction methods.
Probably no place was harder hit than Nevada. The gold rush town of Dayton was destroyed by fire not once but twice, first in 1866 and again in 1870. Just east of Dayton silver prospectors in Eureka saw half of it burn down in April 1879. Virtually the same area was destroyed just four months later. 
Virginia City, perhaps Nevada’s most famous boom town, suffered numerous fires. The “big one” in 1875 is remembered as both the largest and most costly. Described by one eye witness as “ a square mile of roaring flames,” the damage was estimated at $12 million, as much as $250 million
today. Half of Tombstone (above) burned in in 1882, In 1879 the entire business district of Deadwood, South Dakota and more than 50 buildings were destroyed in Ward, Colorado in 1900.
Eventually Western communities got safer with the arrival of railroads, Blair said. The popularity of kit houses in the early 1900s provided residents with kiln dried lumber and better construction methods at affordable prices. Whole buildings were shipped in by train with parts numbered for easy assembly. Many of these sturdy kit buildings still stand today, especially in the Midwest.
Balloon framing continued to be popular into the 1940s. It has largely been replaced, by “platform” construction today. Stacking stories one on top the other like blocks greatly reduces the chimney effect. In addition “fire stops,” boards laid crosswise to the frame also improved fire safety, Blair said.
Obviously technology and better materials haven’t eliminated the potential for catastrophic wild fires. They’re on the rise again as development stretches further and further into combustible terrain. Today’s Westerners, like those who came before them, however, are still willing to assume the risk. Big skies, breathtaking sunsets and the promise of more elbow room apparently make building there and, yes, rebuilding, worth it.
© Text Only – 2017 – Headin’ West LLC – All photos – public domain.