Although Western blazes consuming the land area equivalent to small northeastern states come to mind when the topic of forest fires comes up, the Adirondacks has its own history of devastating forest fires. Adirondack fires were at their most destructive in the early-to-mid 20th century. Fires in the Adirondacks, caused by logging, poor forest management, and railroads, destroyed much of the Adirondacks in this time period. The destruction of the wildfires invigorated the conservation of the region, while the causes of the fires contributed to the anti-industry sentiment in the Park. Together, these factors created the new era of Adirondack conservation and land use that continues to the present day.

The fires of 1903, 1908, and 1934 burned hundreds of thousands of acres of forest and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property, proving how vulnerable the Adirondacks are to fires. The Great Fire of 1903 was the most destructive fire in the Adirondacks, burning more than 600,000 acres of land (Menice). Although there were no fatalities, the fire cost $3.5 million dollars and led to the unemployment of hundreds of people (Nelson, DuQuette, Suter). The Great Fire of 1903 first brought attention to the fires within the Adirondacks. Although no subsequent fires were able to match the size nor destruction of the Great Fire of 1903, fires in 1908 and 1934 continued to prove that wildfires were a threat to the Adirondacks. These fires further cemented the idea that humans can start and exacerbate forest fires, leading people within the Adirondacks to work to minimize the likelihood of future fires. 

The major fires of 1903, 1908, and 1934 coincided with the peak of logging and industry within the Adirondacks. Unregulated logging contributed significantly to the spread and size of these fires. At the time, enforcement of environmental protections was nonexistent and many industries abused the region (Nelson). Flammable debris left by clear-cutting made vast swaths of the region vulnerable to forest fires (Nelson). While logging provided the fuel for the fires, railroads provided the spark. Trains in the Adirondacks ran on coal or wood, which sent off sparks as they traveled (The Adirondack Experience). Train sparks started the main fire of 1908, and likely also started the Great Fire of 1903 (Halasz; The Adirondack Experience). It is clear that the forest fires were started by humans, and made worse by human activities in the Adirondack Park.

The legacy of the Adirondack fires is immense. Fire towers constructed in 1909 helped detect and put out fires before they could spread (The Adirondack Experience; Adirondack.net). Legal changes prevented future fires and preserved the forests of the Adirondacks. Stricter laws banned the use of coal and wood in trains for petroleum, which does not spark. The governor obtained the power to close parts of the Park to visitors when the risk of fires became too high (Halasz). The fires of the Adirondacks forced people to consider the effect of human activities on the land, and the destructive consequences of the previous century of exploitation of the Park’s natural resources.

Works Cited

DuQuette, Jon J. “Holocausts Razed Huge Areas of Adirondacks.” Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 30 Sept. 1989, localwiki.org/hsl/Forest_Fires. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

Halasz, Sunita. “Historic Forest Fires of the Adirondacks and Saranac Lake.” Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Ogden Newspapers, 13 Nov. 2021, www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/opinion/columns/2020/11/historic-forest-fires-of-the-adirondacks-and-saranac-lake/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

Menice, Alice. “A View of St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower -.” The Adirondack Almanack, Adirondack Explorer, 30 Aug. 2021, www.adirondackalmanack.com/2021/08/a-view-of-st-regis-mountain-fire-tower.html#more-189043. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

Nelson, Pete. “Lost Brook Dispatches: The Fires of 1903 -.” The Adirondack Almanack, Adirondack Experience, 14 Apr. 2012, www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/04/lost-brook-dispatches-the-fires-of-1903.html. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

Suter, Herman Milton, and United States Bureau of Forestry. Forest Fires in the Adirondacks in 1903. Internet Archive, vol. 26, Washington, D.C., Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1904, archive.org/details/forestfiresinadi26sute. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

The Adirondack Experience. “The Adirondacks Are Burning: A Brief History of Forest Fires.” Adirondack Experience, Mannix, 4 Apr. 2017, www.theadkx.org/the-adirondacks-are-burning-a-brief-history-of-forest-fires/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.“The History of Fire Towers: Protecting the Adirondacks in the 20th Century.” Adirondack.net, Adirondack.net, 19 Apr. 2018, www.adirondack.net/history/fire-towers/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.