Fires were a common phenomenon in the area during the early 20th century. In the fall of 1918, several small fires were burning along train tracks, in fields, and in peat bogs. When October 12, 1918 dawned with a smoky haze, no one in the area was particularly concerned, as small fires happened frequently, and generally burned themselves out. However, as the day progressed, people eventually realized this was no ordinary fire event.

The "Cloquet-Moose Lake Fire of 1918" was not a single fire. It was a combination of several smaller fires that joined together to become a disastrous firestorm. The fires had two main "theaters," or major burn areas: around Cloquet and around Moose Lake. Scroll through this timeline to see how the fires progressed through both of these areas on October 12, 1918.

Use these pages to further explore the impact the fires had on the people and places of the Cloquet-Moose Lake region.