Is it true that Mrs Oleary's cow started the Chicago Fire?

Question

I dont know what caused the fire

Answer 1

One dark night, when all in bed we were, Old Mother Leary set a lantern in the shed, when the cow kicked it over, she lift her voice and said, it'll be a hot time in the old town tonight, fire fire fire, save my baby save my baby!

Sure, why not.

Answer 2

who really cares?

loads of fires are started these days and any that are over a month old, and tht didnt affect you people have forgeten about

i think the subject of history for school isnt important, its in the past and thats where it belongs

Answer 3

The Popular Myth:

Apparently her cow kicked over a  lit lantern which broke, catching the straw in the barn on fire. Which in turn started the barn on fire and it spread for there.

Origin

The fire started at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, in or around a small shed that bordered the alley behind 137 DeKoven Street. The traditional account of the origin of the fire is that it was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. Michael Ahern, the Chicago Republican reporter who created the cow story, admitted in 1893 that he had made it up because he thought it would make colorful copy.[1]