Great Fire of Saint John



The Great Fire of Saint John was an urban fire that devastated much of Saint John, New Brunswick in June 1877, destroying two-fifths of the city.

Fire
On June 16, 1877, according to a schoolboy known only as "Harry", an elderly First Nations chief spoke to a number of boys, telling them to warn their parents to move away before Saint John is destroyed on June 19.

At 2:30 on the afternoon of June 20, 1877, a spark fell in Henry Fairweather's storehouse in the York Point Slip area. Nine hours later the fire had destroyed over 80 ha and 1,612 structures including eight churches, six banks, fourteen hotels, eleven schooners and four wood boats. The fire had killed approximately 19 people, and injured many more. Approximately 13,000 people were left homeless as a result of the fire. The fire continued to burn for approximately 40 hours. No photographs exist of the fire. However, some survivors' accounts of the blaze tell that the fire came so close to the harbour that it looked like the water was on fire.

Aftermath and legacy
Saint John's Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area was built out of the ashes of the fire.