The worst loss of life in United States history due to a wildfire occurred in 1871 when the Peshtigo Fire swept through Wisconsin , killing more than 1,500 people . The Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 in California and especially the Great Fire of 1910 in Montana and Idaho contributed to the philosophy that fire was a danger that needed to be suppressed . The Great Fire of 1910 burned , destroyed a number of communities , and killed 86 people ; this event prompted various land management agencies to emphasize wildfire suppression . U.S. Government land agencies , including the National Park Service , generally followed the fire management policies established by the U.S. Forest Service , which oversees the majority of the nation 's forestlands
Great Fire of 1910
Great Fire of 1910
Yellowstone fires of 1988