The franchise is named after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 , and was founded on October 8 , 1997 , the event 's 126th anniversary . The team began play in 1998 as one of the league 's first expansion teams . The Fire won the MLS Cup as well as the U.S. Open Cup ( the " double " ) in their first season . They also won U.S. Open Cups in 2000 , 2003 , and 2006 , in addition to the 2003 MLS Supporters ' Shield . In 2015 , the club won the first ever MLS Wooden Spoon , and repeated the feat in 2016
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire Soccer Club