Chicago Fire: Is there an episode about the Great Chicago Fire?

Chicago Fire has plenty of lore, from the personal lives of the characters to the history of the fictional Firehouse 51. One thing that fans may be curious about, however, is the show’s ties to the Great Chicago Fire, the infamous blaze that occurred in 1871.

It’s arguably the most famous fire in American history, and resulted in the deaths of over 300 people as well 3.3 miles of damage. Given how close the names of the show and the infamous incident are, there must be some connective tissue. Right?

Is Chicago Fire about the Great Chicago Fire?

Well, not exactly. Despite there being plenty of confusion when one tries to Google the show or the 1871 fire, there have been no references made to the Great Chicago Fire within the universe of the show.

Now it would get way too confusing to assume that the fire didn’t happen in the universe of the show, because that would bring into question way too much, so let’s just assume it doesn’t come up in conversation but is a widely known tragedy.

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That being said, showrunner Derek Haas and the writers have always prided themselves on being authentic to the culture and the history of Chicago onscreen. He discussed the influence that the Windy City has had on their artistry during an interview with ADrinkWith.com.

"“When we put the name of the city in the title there was no choice, we had to shoot here and get outside to see the city”, Haas remarked. “You can put a camera anywhere in Chicago and with the architecture, the lake and the river it is so stunning.”"

Unless Haas decides to radically change things up and do a flashback episode (flashback as in hundreds of years before the characters are born) or make a reference to the Great Chicago Fire in the form of a joke, it’s likely these two, similarly named pieces of popular culture will not overlap.

What do you hope to see in the Chicago Fire season 11 premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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