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100 Year Anniversary of Hot Springs Fire

Visit Hot Springs

Hot Springs is commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the largest urban fire in the state’s history, Wednesday afternoon. Visit Hot Springs, the city's tourism agency, invites the public to the site of the fire, a parking lot behind Summit Arena, at 3:30 PM for a plaque placement followed by a history presentation.

The fire started on September 5th and within 12 hours destroyed 60 city blocks and 700 residences.  Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, says the town is the number one tourism destination in the state because of the hard work that was done to repair it.

"It was an incredible time. Back in 1913 they didn't give up and say, 'well have our community is destroyed, let's pick up and go somewhere else.' They all pitched in together, it forced the town to modernize,  everything the built had to be new, "said Arrison. 

All ages are welcome to the public program. Admission is free.