This information was brought in by Mike Sweeney.
The Village of Lake Orion had many disastrous fires in its earlier history, no doubt due to the lack of adequate fire protection.
In 1862, the village was virtually destroyed by fire and again in 1874 when the heroic work of the fire brigade saved the greater share of the stores and houses, although one block (in which the Masonic Temple is now located) was wiped out.
After that, the next big fire was in 1894, when houses on the east side of the main business block burned.
In 1902, all the business places between the hotel and brick building on the corner were swept away. (These are the same buildings that burned in last week’s fire)
Editor’s Note: Local historian Jim Ingram has promised to write a detailed column on fires in Lake Orion and a history of the fire department for next week.