Case file · Cosmic event
Peshtigo fire and the comet theory
On 8 October 1871, the night of the Great Chicago Fire, a firestorm destroyed Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and killed between 1,200 and 2,400 people, the deadliest wildfire in US history.
1871 CE · 45.05, -87.75 · status: disputed
The account
In 1883 Ignatius Donnelly suggested fragments of Biela's Comet set the Midwest fires at once, and the idea was revived in 2004.
The sceptical view
Experts say meteorites are cold when they land, and drought plus a strong wind system explain simultaneous fires.