Cleveland river fire

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- CLEVELAND, Ohio – Celebrate the Cuyahoga River’s revival with the Xtinguish Torch Fest: four days of events along 100 miles of water marking the 50th anniversary of the June 22, 1969, fire that sparked a national environmental movement.“It’s a new narrative about our region,” said Arrye Rosser, interpretive and education specialist for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “The idea … is extinguishing the past, igniting the future.” Spearheaded by the West Creek Conservancy, Xtinguish is the pinnacle of dozens of community events, exhibits, performances and conferences in Northeast Ohio this year. All mark the Cuyahoga’s transformation from “an open sewer through the center of the city” to an active fishery and watersports playground. Dozens of organizations are pitching in on Xtinguish, where the torch will be passed from the headwaters of the Crooked River near Burton, through Akron and to Lake Erie. … [Read more...] about Four-day Xtinguish Torch Fest marks 50th anniversary of Cuyahoga River fire, along 100 miles of waterway

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center, 310 Carnegie Avenue, will present an illustrated program on Cleveland's historic river fires and fire boats on September 29 at 2 p.m. According to museum historian Paul Nelson, the city has had 15 significant fires on the Cuyahoga River since 1868. All resulted from an accumulation of flammable material on the river's surface. The most famous fire was the 1969 blaze that made national headlines and spurred environmental reform. But it was also the smallest fire, extinguished in 17 minutes, and the last river fire. The largest river fire was in 1952 at the Great Lakes Towing Co. that resulted in $1 million worth of property damage. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, $5 for children, and kids under 3 are admitted free, as are members. … [Read more...] about Cuyahoga River fires explored at Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center