The Day Augusta Went Up In Flames
The year was 1916. The day Augusta went up in flames was on March 22, 1916. It all began with an iron left on at an 8th and Broad Street…
The building to the right is where the old Dyer Building was located and where the fire started.
Tee Gentry/BMGThe year was 1916. The day Augusta went up in flames was on March 22, 1916.
It all began with an iron left on at an 8th and Broad Street tailor shop. The fire quickly spread due to high winds, and fire departments from Georgia and South Carolina came together to help. Firefighters from Charleston, Atlanta, Columbia, Greenville and more worked into the night to stop the fire. It took almost 12 hours to get it under control. Over 600 buildings were destroyed. The Great Fire of 1916 was called Georgia's worst natural disaster. The Day Augusta Went Up In Flames.
After controlling the fire, most of downtown Augusta was gone—25 blocks from East Boundry to 8th Street. Over 3000 people were left homeless after the fire. Miraculously, no lives were lost.
St Paul's Church also burned during the fire. The church was rebuilt beginning in 1917 in the exact location. Augusta did build back and better than ever!
Here are more interesting facts about Augusta.
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