Final answer:
The Great Chicago Fire was deadly due to the quick spread of the fire enabled by tightly packed wooden structures, windy conditions, inadequate firefighting equipment, and a limited water supply. These factors led to the death of over 300 people and left 100,000 homeless.
Step-by-step explanation:
What made the Great Chicago Fire so deadly was a combination of factors. The buildings in Chicago were primarily made of wood and built closely together, which allowed the fire to spread rapidly. This, in conjunction with the use of candles and kerosene, made the fire particularly catastrophic and deadly.
On October 8, 1871, windy conditions further exacerbated the fire's spread, and the lack of effective firefighting equipment and techniques hindered attempts to control and extinguish the blaze. Additionally, many workers found themselves trapped due to locked stairwell doors and the collapse of poorly constructed fire escapes, which led to numerous fatalities. The limited water supply and poor urban planning compounded the disaster, as firefighters struggled to combat the inferno.After the fire, widespread destruction saw over 100,000 people losing their homes and over 300 people dying, with the entire central business district destroyed. The catastrophe resulted in $200 million in lost and damaged property and drove significant changes in building requirements and improvements in firefighting resources and strategies.