The effects of the fires ravaging Los Angeles will last for decades or longer. As evidence, one need look no further than here in northern Michigan, where fires dating back a century and a half are still impacting the area.
In 1871, a massive swath of fires devastated the Midwest, with the Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire and the Great Michigan Fire charring millions of acres and claiming thousands of lives. While the Grand Traverse area was largely spared, areas as close as Manistee were practically burned to the ground. The Great Michigan Fire burned some 2.5 million acres, making it the third-largest U.S. wildfire ever.
But earlier fires had already begun transforming the area. Dr. Kurt Kipfmueller, professor of geography, environment, & society at the University of Minnesota, says the Fife Lake area shows such evidence…