Brush fires have been much in the news of late, and those familiar with Sullivan County history have been moved to recall massively destructive wildfires from years gone by, including the May, 1884 blaze that wiped out thousands of acres, including most of the hamlet of Gilman’s in the town of Forestburgh.
Gilman’s was not a large community, and the damage to buildings and infrastructure was far less than that of other historic fires, such as the August, 1909 Monticello blaze or the June, 1913 fire in Liberty, but the devastation caused by its spread to the natural surroundings is what sets it apart from all the others.
