The Cuyahoga River Fire

Cristian Lucero


The Cuyahoga River is located in Ohio that runs through the city of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie. The river has caught on fire multiple times dating back all the way back to 1868. Factories near by have dumped out all their wastes like oil into the river polluting it. The river caught on fire on June 22, 1969 due to oil slicks in the river and the sparks of a passing train. The fire caused $50,000 in damage which was not a lot compared to previous fires. After the fire occurred, more awareness about pollution came about and congress passed the National Environment Policy Act in 1970 which helped establish the Environmental Protection Agency. The fire encouraged people to take care of the environment and so one of the first legislation's that the Agency put out was the Clean Water Act. This act mandated that all rivers throughout the US to be hygienic enough that swimmers and fish can use it by 1983. 50 years later and the river is now inhabited by many fish and is used for rowing, fishing and more. The fire brought awareness not just in Ohio but throughout the US and helped sanitize and clean up rivers.