From the archives: The Great Fire of Montreal

This story was first published on July 12, 2003, in the Montreal Gazette.
The Great Fire of Montreal: No one died but much misery was caused by the huge fire that engulfed the city in 1852. It didn’t help that the fire chief was incompetent. His career lasted no longer than the buildings he should have protected
The fire is still raging at the hour we write, God only knows where it will stop. Our city seems to be doomed.
The Gazette, Friday, July 9, 1852
The despair in those brief lines so