Marklan Street Fires

The infamous Marklan Street Fires date back to the 1800's. Fires are common, but the fires on Marklan Street have taken on a freakish nature and have blossomed into legend.

Fires of note on Marklan Street

• The first strange fire was reported in 1846 when witnesses watched a horse and cart catch fire in the middle of the street. The horse reared up with mane and tail blazing and took the flaming cart trailing behind it for several blocks before finally succumbing the the flames. No cause was found for the fire.

• Three fires seemed to have started at the exact time on the night of December 12th, 1924 burning a small store, storage shed and police station to their foundations. No cause was found.

• In 1938, a small delivery truck caught fire while parked in front of a small grocery store. Firefighters rushed to the scene and put out the blaze after working at it for 30 minutes. Satisfied, they called for someone to haul the wreck away. Shortly before the being hauled off, the truck burst into flames again and an additional 15 minutes was spent putting out the rekindled flames. Leaking fuel was blamed.

• In 1944, several "large fireballs" were seen in an ally at Maklan and Pine streets. The fires were out by the time firefighters appeared. The charred remains of two cats were found at the scene.

• The most gruesome case was reported in 1952. The body of Loren MacFee was found in her apartment on the evening of March 4th, 1952 when a neighbor smelled smoke and sulfur coming from her apartment vents. The body was ash from the calves up and investigators say that the heat was so intense that the area the body occupied was completely warped and scorched. However, the fire damage appeared to have only touched the body and immediate area where the body was found. Paper and fabrics mere feet away were untouched and no signs of fire damage were found elsewhere. [http://www.crystalinks.com/shc.gif A photo can be seen here, but it is not for the faint of heart. ]

Marklan Street fires still occur, but they are not as frequent and are usually thought to be the result of vandals.

Not to be confused with the Marke Woods fire.