Fernie British Columbia Canada Great Fire Fred Spalding 1908 Real Photo Postcard

The Great Fire of August 1, 1908, catastrophically devastated Fernie, British Columbia, a prosperous coal mining town in the Elk Valley. Fanned by strong winds and dry conditions, the fire swept through the wooden structures of the town, destroying almost all buildings within hours and leaving thousands homeless. This postcard captures a poignant scene of the immediate aftermath, showing tents erected for the displaced sufferers against the backdrop of the charred landscape around Mount Fernie.