Fire

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Moynahan Fire and Hose Company Central Fire Station at Alma in the 1880s

As the towns grew in population, so did the infrastructure for combating fires.  Mines, buildings, even entire streets would frequently catch ablaze. Towns would see entire rebuilds due to fire loss, such as Fairplay, which burned down in its entirety in 1873.[1]

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School fire at Alma in 1928

[1] “Fairplay,” South Park National Heritage Area, accessed March 12, 2021, https://southparkheritage.org/fairplay/.