The Great Boston Fire

 The Great Boston Fire of 1762  is a historical event that I found fascinating.  There were so many different elements that led to its occurrence, level of devastation and aftermath.

First of all, the setting was ripe for disaster.  Building codes were spotty at best and many of the  structures were dangerously waiting for the first spark.  The taxation laws said that any merchandise stored in the attic was not taxable, so buildings used the mansard roof, which provides steep pitched roofing and allows for almost another floor of living, or in this case storage space.  Buildings were built in extreme close proximity to one another, using every usable foot of land space.

So with attics stuffed full of dry goods and one building nearly touching another, it is apparent how flames could easily leap from one edifice to the next.

When the fire started in a warehouse basement it quickly engulfed the entire building and raced on, devouring the neighboring buildings so quickly and with so much large scale burning that sailors off the coast of Maine recorded in their logs the unknown lights they were seeing in the distance.

Boston had just 20 years earlier been the first city in the world to set up telegraph based fire alarm boxes.  Only to deter false alarms, each box was locked and only one person in each district had the key.  On this day it took more than 20 minutes to locate the man with the key.

Additional calls for help were delayed because it was evening and the telegraph offices in many other cities were closed.

Fire hydrants did not have uniform couplings, so some hoses only worked on some hydrants.

Leaky water mains provided only enough pressure to get water half way up many buildings.

Many of the buildings were taller than the longest ladders the fire departments possessed.

An equine epidemic meant that some of their horses were too sick to help pull the engines.

Because the fire was in the business district more than 100,000 people came to watch and some tried using explosives on their own to create fire blocks and others turned to looting, making the situation even more dire.

In all,  776 buildings covering 65 acres burned including the entire financial district, 13 people died and nearly 1.5 billion in today’s dollars worth of damage was done.

But when it came time to clean up, Boston used the opportunity well in part due to the leadership of John Damrell, who had warned of the danger for years.  They met and learned and made changes.  

They widened roads and required space between buildings.  They initiated water main repairs, added fire escapes and organized fire safety organizations.  They invested in better fire equipment.

They unlocked the fire alarms so that all could summon help when needed! 

Over the next months much of the burned out debris was dumped into the harbor creating new land to build on.  They carved out park space and built with safety and the future in mind.  Within 2 years the city had completely financially recovered and the lessons learned had been taken to heart.

It is a long story, but fascinating.  

We, too,  will sometimes have fires roar through our lives and sometimes they will be devastating. It may seem like we have lost everything.  Sometimes it will be because of our poor planning, ignoring of the little dangers creeping in or foolish decisions.  Other times it will be due to an act out of our control.  But we always have the opportunity to look at the damage and determine the lessons learned, to update our personal code and to better prepare for the future.

We also can choose to dump the ashes in the harbor and build a new better life, with the things we now know.

As Elder Uchtdorf so eloquently stated, "My dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends, I testify that God sees us as we truly are—and He sees us worthy of rescue.  

You may feel that your life is in ruins. You may have sinned. You may be afraid, angry, grieving, or tortured by doubt. But just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the world, He will find you.

He will rescue you.

He will lift you up and place you on His shoulders.

He will carry you home."

It is my experience that we will be part of that rebuilding process.  That we can take those lessons and turn instead from shame to hope. Piece by piece building a new foundation with the new lessons and often building a safe place for others to land as we do it. 

2 Corinthians 5:17:  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Satan says the rubble is your downfall.  Jesus says throw it in the bay and let's get building! 

This is what the work of Jesus Christ is all about.  To make the old things new again.