On October 4, 1922, scattered bush fires which had been burning for some days north of Haileybury were united by strong winds into a holocaust which spread over most of 18 townships and took an estimated 43 lives. Burning out of control between the Englchart and Cobalt areas, it destroyed the communities of North Cobalt, Charlton, Thornloe and Heaslip, while Englehart and New Liskeard were partly consumed. The thriving town of Haileybury was razed except for a few buildings on the shore of Lake Timiskaming. On the night of October 5 the wind dropped and snow and rain helped extinguish the fire. A massive emergency relief programme helped to restore the economy of the area.

Location

In a roadside park, Highway 11, about 3 km south of the Earlton Overpass, Thornloe

Themes

• Communities
• Disasters