The Devouring Rages of Fire

About the Book

The two most terrifying forest fires in North American history defied science. In the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871, a powerful wind carried a house bodily in the air, and it was not on fire when it left the ground. Then, the house burst into flames. This inferno actually leaped 15 miles across Green Bay. Like Peshtigo, the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 came from many surprising directions. One of the fire's tongues shot up from the ground and burned into a woman's skeleton. A fiery mass engulfed a home and shed, jumped over several buildings, and bounced into a sawmill, taking its whole blazing structure into the air. Since both infernos are strikingly similar, each fire is fully detailed in The Devouring Rages of Fire.

Author Clark C. Peterson assembled survivors' experiences to create exceptionally picturesque descriptions of both infernos. Rick Selvin of the Camden New Jersey Post insisted, "I've never seen a better candidate for a movie script!" Metromedia Producers in Hollywood claimed that they've "never heard of a more harrowing disaster!"

Linda Garrett, who holds a Master's degree in Journalism, read Peterson's book and felt as if she went through the infernos. He "had me mesmerized. I could not put the book down and read it...in one night. His descriptions made me feel like I was right in the middle of the destruction. Clark's knowledge and investigative nature make him a great writer. He takes the time to research his topic, gather useful information and write in such a manner that keeps his readers turning pages." Garrett recommends Peterson's books be required reading for journalism students. She also insists that Clark Peterson has "one of the most descriptive writing styles of any author I have ever had the pleasure of reading."

About the Author

Clark C. Peterson was born in Pine City, Minnesota, and raised in Hinckley, Minnesota. He is a life member of the Peshtigo Fire Museum and charter member of the Hinckley Fire Museum. Clark holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and a Ph. D from Grace Bible College in Morrisville, North Carolina. His achievements are primarily in broadcasting. They include his feature Minnesota's #1 TV Mecca which is in the archives of the Pavek Broadcasting Museum in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, part recipient of the Associated Press Award for best coverage of a local story in the United States in 1978, and one of 25 winners in Turner Broadcasting's nationwide Superbrawl Wrestling Announcing Contest of 1992. Clark served four years in the United Stated Air Force and 13 years as a civil servant for the U.S. Army. He received 14 New Idea/Suggestion awards which are approved ways for the federal government to save money and/or do things more efficiently. Fourteen is one of the highest numbers in federal service history. Clark's most recent books are Blasted Onto a Pile of Rubble and The Devouring Rages of Fire, and in 2007, his next works will be Outdoor Christmas Lighting Spectaculars & More Exterior-Lit Eye-Catchers and Hinckley's Classic Celebrations. These and other accomplishments have led to his inclusion in Marquis Who's Who in America 2007 and Who's Who in the World 2007.