Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be doing my first blog post here and to be joining these other amazing fillies and sharing more about the West, myself, and my books. I’m giving away an ebook today, too.
Let’s jump into it! Recently, I needed to do a little research on something. I wanted to make sure that I was writing a scene authentically, as I’d never experienced it firsthand before. What I found was more shocking than I’d imagined.
“Faster than a horse could run,” a historic witness said, “like a devouring army” another warned. As you guessed from the blog title, they were talking about a prairie fire. These fires weren’t like anything those from the East had ever seen before. They spread quickly and could burn a length of 600 feet in a minute and burn as hot as 700 degrees Fahrenheit! Is it any wonder why a fire was one of the most feared natural and manmade disasters?
PHOTOGRAPH BY KYLE MODERHAK, MYSHOT
But as I was researching these fires for a book, I learned some fascinating things. Even though they were deadly, fires played an important role on the prairie. Started on accident by a cookfire or lighting, or on purpose by Native Americans to make a pasture or drive wildlife, wildfires kept the prairie land as it was—a prairie.
A prairie fire is an important thing needed in the renewal of a prairie. I had no idea until I started to research that. Without it, the wide open spaces would become a forest or filled with brush. Interestingly, the fire does not destroy prairie grasses. That’s why they grow back so quickly. As the fast moving fires went across, the base survived. Where the grasses grow actually lives underground, and the root systems can sometimes be fifteen feet deep, which means they survive these devastating fires.
Photo from Urbana Park District
While those new to the prairies might not have known how important the fire was for the prairie’s existence, they knew, without a doubt, how dangerous it was. In A Journey for Leah, Leah has joined a wagon train and experiences one of these fires first hand.
While today, prairie fires that are started, either accidentally or on purpose are usually able to be controlled, back in the 1800s, it really was a matter of life or death. It would be impossible to outrun a fire and it’s terrible to think about.
Here’s a small excerpt from that scene in A Journey for Leah:
All around them, men and women were rushing to the wagons and pulling out tools. Children were rushing to the stream, the older ones holding the small ones in the water, while those large enough to help were grabbing buckets to fill with water.
“I don’t understand,” Leah said, as Stanley pulled out a shovel and some sacks. “What’s happening?”
He pointed to the distance, where a near endless line of smoke filled the air. “Fire. We won’t outrun it. When a prairie fire starts, it spreads fast. All we can do is try to prevent it from getting any closer.” He pointed to a few dozen feet away, where men were starting to dig a trench. “We need to make a barrier, one deep enough and wide enough the fire can’t cross.”
Leah felt cold then. That’s why the youngest children were in the water. It was to save their lives.
Creating a firebreak was the only thing that could be done back then. It made watchful eyes, care with fire, and tools such as a plow an absolute necessity. It was much harder back then to create a firebreak. They didn’t have machines like we do, to do the job quickly. That’s one of the things I admire so much about the men and women who came before us, they made good use of what they had and, to be completely honest, built things that would last and were of better quality than we have!
While fire doesn’t appear too often in my books, I know it was a real concern, and I’m grateful for the chance this gave me to do a little research.
A Journey for Leah is available in ebook, paperback, large print, and human narrated audiobook, if you’d like to keep reading.
Since it’s my very first time blogging here, and I’m likely a new to you author, I’d love to give away an ebook of A Journey for Leah to one reader. You can enter just by leaving a comment telling me something you enjoy about historical romance books, and a random winner via number generator will be chosen.
Sarah is wife to an amazing teacher and mom to two boys who are growing up just a little too fast. She spends her days working and writing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
I love historical romance books because they take us back in time and show us life as it was. Sometimes, we learn a little history, too.
I knew about many modern prairie fires that are intentionally set thanks to Ree, aka Pioneer Woman. They do it on their ranch.
denise
I like learning about the history too! I admit though, it would be scary to see those fires, even if you were taking precautions!
Hi, Sarah, and welcome. I love historical romance because I’m a history buff, and I read for entertainment. Therefore, a happy ending is important to me, and historical romance furnishes that.
Hi Janice! That’s just why I love historical fiction so much!
Yes they still have controlled burns here in Indiana in the spring in the wildlife areas – the weeds will take over if not done!
Oh that’s interesting! I’d not heard about it as a way to help control the weeds! I’ll need to look that up!
Howdy and Welcome Sarah! I also love to read historical romance. I love getting lost in the past and relive moments where times were tough and appreciated more. We get wrapped up in all our conveniences of everyday, and it’s good (I think) to remember a time when small and simple things still made our past a happy one, even with trials and tribulations.
Your book sounds wonderful! Best wishes to you!
Thank you! And yes! That’s why I love it too. It felt like slower evenings were used to connect with others and just enjoy being part of the amazing world we were in. Now, it seems we fill each minute and are exhausted!
I really enjoy reading historical romance, because I have learned a lot about the history of the location or the way the people lived. I never realized how much research an author does in order to write a book that is true to that era.
I love the history aspect to! Sometimes that research is very distracting though, since there are so much interesting facts and stories to read!
Welcome Sarah. Thank you for sharing about prairie fires it was very interesting. That is one thing about history you can learn so much.
You really can! I tell my kids you can’t know too much! It might come in handy one day.
I love history and seeing how their lives were. It brings history alive reading historicals. When I homeschooled my youngest two I had them read historicals for children to learn history.
We homeschool too, and my kids love history. We are fortunate to live not too far from a living history museum, that really helps bring this time period to life!
I love traveling to places you can only go in the pages of a book. I am glad I have never experienced a prairie fire.
I’m glad you have not! I also love traveling through a book! It’s nice to experience that, but also the modern day things…like plumbing!
I like reading historical romance because it takes you back to simpler times. I like learning how they made do with what they had and was mostly self sufficient. Families seemed to be together more, especially at meal time and when work was over for the day. While children played simple games, the adults talked or read. Women usually did needle work and mending at this time.
Yes! You are right on all of that. There seemed to be so much more contentment!
Historical romance books are my favorite genre of books, I like the history that is in them.
I really do too! It’s always fun to learn something in them!
Welcome to your very first blog as a filly, Sarah!! 🙂 What a great topic and so much to learn if one doesn’t experience the country life. A fifteen-foot root system??? Yowza! No wonder the grasses have survived for generations!
Thank you! And I know it!! It’s hard to imagine it goes down that deeply!
Welcome, Sarah. We are glad you are here. Prairie fires were a frightening thing to pop up on the wide open planes. It could devastate one’s property if not controlled. I have read a few western romance books with a fire quickly overtaking their pasture and endangering the herds grazing in the vicinity. It is such a good idea to do extensive research so one can write a truly detailed story. We are glad to have you and your book sounds thrilling. Have a blessed week and a successful career.
Thank you! I’m so happy to be here! I’m grateful we live in a time where fires are easier to fight!
I have seen a fire up close before, and they move FAST! One started in my neighborhood, jumped the main road, and came as close to my house as one street away. Thankfully, the firefighters were finally able to get it under control before it jumped the road and came to mine. I don’t live on a prairie, I live in Florida!! We’ve had wildfires since then, though none have ever been that close again. I loved history in school, and that carries over to my reading.
Oh my goodness! That must have been terrifying. The closest we’ve been is about 5 miles, and that was close enough! I’m so glad you’ve not had anything like that again!
This makes me think of the prairie fire in a Little House book. I realize I’ve never done a prairie fire. I did a house fire once. I might try this. Great post, Sarah
Ohh you are right! I remember that book now, and Ma beating the fire with a sack! I think it’s a terrifying thing, seeing it come and nowhere to run. Really can make the characters have a lot of thoughts happening.
We’ve had some prairie fires around me, in Nebraska.
Since they started doing a government program that leaves fields un-planted for a few years, and planting native grass on those set-aside acres, it’s more common.
Last year? Or two summers ago, there was a fire about five miles from me that burned for miles and miles, burned down two houses. One man sent his wife and children away ahead of the fire and stayed to try and save his house. He ended up grabbing his little of puppies and running with them into a root cellar. He lost the house.
Oh my goodness! That poor man. I’m glad he survived, but that was so dangerous! That must have been terrifying.
What I love about historical romance is you pick up a lot of history in the book. Sure the books are fiction but there is a lot of true history in them. I really enjoy that. You also pick up a lot at this blog.
Yes to all of that! That’s why I enjoy the historical fiction writing and reading. You learn so many interesting things!
Welcome, Sarah! So glad to have you here with us at P&P! What an interesting post–a prairie fire had to be one of the most horrible things settlers had to face and to worry about. Your book sounds very interesting. This post gave me food for thought, in another way, too. My mom was born in 1922 here in Oklahoma and she mentioned many times how so many of the women and children couldn’t swim. The men mostly could, but not the women and children. In a case like a prairie fire, there would really be no choice, would there? A very hard life–I don’t think I would have made a good pioneer woman! LOL! Looking forward to reading your story!
Oh that is an interesting thought! I wonder if societal restrictions of the day kept the women from learning to swim. I didn’t grow up around water, so I’m a poor swimmer myself, but back then, I can’t imagine it would really be allowed for the women to plunge in!
My hubby was on a fire department in Wyoming. A lot of them were also started by trains from sparks being thrown from the wheels of the train. They were scary. Thank you for sharing.
I didn’t even think about the sparks from trains! My goodness, that would be alarming!
I love this information. When we lived on our ranch we would burn ditches so the water could flow, but I never heard about
Prairie fires before . So interesting.
That is interesting burning the ditches! It makes sense too. We have one in front of our house and it clogs terribly with grass, since it’s so hard to mow that. I’ll look at it differently now!
I love learning all the historical facts that so many authors weave into their stories. I wasn’t much into history in school, but I guess reading about it in a fun way has really piqued my interest much more than those old textbooks did. 😉
I also love the simpler way of life that most people lived, the slower pace that seems so refreshing compared to the rat-race that is so prevalent in our world, & the overall goodness & Godliness that was instilled into people compared to the lack-of around us today.
Welcome to the group!
Yes! History is so much more fun when we get to read about it for pleasure, instead of work!
I enjoy historical romances because it’s fun to experience different time periods and live in the world for a brief time.
Yes! It’s such a wonderful thing!
settings
Yes, the settings are always fascinating.
Historical fiction is fun and informative. Did anyone else devour “The Hidden Treasure of Glaston” by Eleanor M. Jewett as a kid? That’s one of the first ones I remember reading.
I’ve not read that one! But now I need to find it!
Congratulations, Sarah, on joining the Fillies! I find I am fairly fond of the fabulous finds this fine family of females fashions. Your fiery facts are fascinating (and am finished finding “Fs”)! Delighted to see you among the herd–always enjoy these blogs, and yours was excellent. Like the others, I’m tucking this new knowledge away for future reference! Hugs!
I love all your puns, Elissa! And thank you! Still gobsmacked I’m here!
We, too have field and range fires started by trains. Today it is mostly from the sparks of metal wheels on metal rails. In the early days of trains it was often sparks from the engine smoke stacks. Add a 20 to 30 mph wind, common in our area, and it quickly becomes a very dangerous situation. Another cause of these fires is bullets hitting rocks and creating a spark. In central Washington we have had devastating fires that burned many miles of rangeland and wheat fields when someone was target practicing. It is very scary to see the smoke rolling up and not know how close it is to you. I have wondered how early settlers and travelers learned where fires were and how close to them when you can see the smoke for miles and miles and depending on weather and topography the smoke can look much closer than it is.
That’s a good question, about how did they see it. I recently bought a book that talks about historical prairie fires, and I will be curious if that’s addressed. It sounds like you live in an area where a good number of fires happen. So terrible!
Welcome today. This must have been an interesting topic to research. I grew up in the Mojave Desert in CA. We had a fire come down from Big Bear Mountain one time. Because of the wind that day, it jumped from cactus to cactus and anything in-between. It was a bit scary to watch. It didnt reach our area, but we could see it.
Oh my goodness! That must have been alarming to see! There is not much more worrying than something like that creeping closer to you.