Hinckley Fire Museum honors history of tragic 1894 fire

Great Hinckley Fire among worst ever in Minnesota

Great Hinckley Fire among worst ever in Minnesota

Like Maui, Hawaii, one Minnesota community has dealt with a tragic fire in its history.

The Great Hinckley Fire in September 1894 killed more than 400 people.

The Hinckley Fire Museum honors the history of the tragic event.

Museum officials hope the Maui blaze will change fire protection across the nation. 

“My only hope is that it does change something that people pay attention and actually keep that from happening again,” President of the Hinckley Fire Museum Steve Johnson said. “Some of those people are the only survivors of a whole family. I don’t know how you start your life over again when everyone you know is gone.”

The Hinckley fire burned 500,000 acres in just four hours and the blaze was five miles high. It could be seen in Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Iowa.