In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we revisit the catastrophic 1881 fire that swept through the Thumb region. Known as the Thumb Fire, it scorched more than one million acres, left towns like Bad Axe and Cass City in ruins, and marked the decline of the lumber era in Southeast Michigan. With debris left behind by aggressive logging and months of drought, the area became a powder keg. Hear how the inferno changed the landscape forever and how it shaped the future of forest management and rural life in Michigan.

This story is one of the most viewed on our website. 144 years ago, over a series of several days, a devastating fire overtook the Thumb. This story offers a synopsis of the days of that horrific event and its aftermath. Read the original story at 1881 Michigan Fire Forever Changed the Thumb.

A production of Thumbwind Publications