Portland, Oregon, Fires in 1872 and 1873: Plot Points for My Next Novel

Some of my novels have followed historical events quite closely, and others are almost entirely fiction. For example, Lead Me Home follows the route of an actual wagon train quite closely, Now I’m Found features a section on the California Constitutional Convention, and Safe Thus Far follows an actual Oregon militia unit’s expedition.

I have decided to place my next novel in Portland, Oregon, in 1872-1873. I chose this specific place and time in part because of two fires that occurred in Portland in these years. Fires, of course, represent huge dramatic moments, with great potential to impact the world of fictional characters. Danger. Confusion. Loss—of property and of life.

During the 19th century, fires were a risk in most major cities. I wrote an earlier post about fires in San Francisco in its early years during the Gold Rush. Chicago’s famous fire happened in October 1871. Boston had a huge fire in November 1872. And Portland, Oregon, had two large fires that came on the heels of these earlier disasters.

On December 22, 1872, fire broke out on the Portland riverfront, where the city’s commercial activity was concentrated. Wharves and warehouses lined the river. Most of these buildings were constructed on pilings to combat frequent flooding, and store owners kept trash and excess inventory under the pilings. But all the wood and debris left the area highly susceptible to fire. The December 1872 fire apparently started in the early morning in a Chinese laundry on Front Avenue, and it grew significantly by the time it was discovered.

Volunteer firefighters rushed to the scene, but due to a strong south breeze, they could not keep the flames from spreading north. The fire became uncontrollable, and soon extended to all the buildings on the river side of Front Avenue between Morrison and Alder. Residents and business owners panicked, and chaos in the streets further hindered the firefighters’ attempts to quell the flames.

By late morning, the fire consumed most of the buildings between the river, Morrison Street, Washington Street, and First Avenue. A heavy rain began about noon, which finally enabled the firefighters to bring the fire under control by midafternoon. The total cost of the loss was estimated at $413,665, equivalent to about $7,500,000 today.

Then, just eight months later, on August 2, 1873, an even larger fire decimated Portland’s downtown. This fire apparently originated in a furniture store on First Street near Taylor. Fueled by strong winds and dry conditions, the flames quickly spread, consuming an entire block in twenty minutes and twelve blocks within a few hours. Crowded Chinese tenements, made largely of flammable materials, were particularly vulnerable.

But even brick buildings could not withstand the intensity of the blaze. Among the buildings threatened by the fire was the St. Charles Hotel, one of the finest hotels in the Pacific Northwest at the time. Through valiant efforts, firefighters managed to save the hotel.

In the end, the fire stopped when it ran out of material to burn—and there was no fuel in part because the area destroyed in the December 1872 fire had not yet been rebuilt. Before it died, this second fire destroyed a mix of mansions, tenements, and commercial property. Losses from this fire were even greater than from the earlier fire, totaling over $925,000, or almost $17 million in today’s dollars.

These fires exposed shortcomings in the city’s firefighting capabilities and prompted plans to develop a more professional firefighting force. Over time, the city reformed its firefighting capabilities and rebuilt the downtown.

I’m not certain how the December 1872 fire will play into my plot yet, though I think it will set off controversies among my characters over the Chinese laborers in Portland at the time. The Chinese were blamed for this first fire, and anti-Chinese arsonists were blamed for the later fire.

The August 1873 fire will come at the climax of this novel. At this early point in my drafting process, I think the protagonists and antagonist will have a confrontation in the middle of the blaze.

But only time will tell how this book turns out.

Readers, do you like to see historical events feature in historical novels, or do you like them to be total fiction, merely set in an earlier time? Or both?