| Great Porcupine Fire of 1911 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Date(s) | July 11, 1911 – ? |
| Location | Northern Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 48°30′N 81°10′W / 48.5°N 81.16°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 494,000 acres (199,915 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | Uncertain (c. 73-200+) |
| Map | |
  | |
The Great Porcupine Fire of 1911 was one of the most devastating forest fires ever to strike the Ontario northland. Spring had come early that year, followed by an abnormally hot dry spell that lasted into the summer. This created ideal conditions for the ensuing disaster, in which a number of smaller fires converged.
Porcupine, a community on the north side of Porcupine Lake, in the city of Timmins, Ontario, Canada, was the site of a huge gold discovery in 1907. On July 11, 1911, when the Porcupine Gold Rush was at its height, a gale from the southwest whipped some small bush fires into flames. As the fire gained strength, it engulfed the tinder-dry forest, razing everything in its path.