The Ghost of Crawford Wilcox, Part 2

Every building on this block was engulfed within minutes. They were all built of dried pine, and they went up like kindling.

City leaders made the difficult decision to let the central business district burn. As the buildings crumbled and fell, everyone focused on structures that hadn’t yet caught fire, draping them in wet blankets, and dousing embers where they landed.

In just two hours, 22 buildings burned to the ground, and 33 businesses were lost. Luckily, no one died, and there are no reports of serious injuries either.

No serious injuries, unless you count the devastated reputation of one man.