It was July 4th, 1866, and Portland, Maine’s population was just beginning to unwind after the Civil War. The weather had been very warm and dry but everyone was looking forward to celebrating.

There were many activities scheduled to keep the celebrants entertained, everything from a parade to the best fireworks display ever. The city was overflowing with visitors from all around the state and business was brisk. Little did the crowds know what fate had planned on that festive day.

Late that afternoon, a young boy casually lit a firecracker in front of a woodworker's shop and not thinking, tossed the explosive into the shop’s yard that was covered with dry wood shavings. The result was the largest urban fire in the history of the United States to that time.

The Night the Sky Turned Red tells the story of this great conflagration through the eyes and voices of those who lived through one of the country’s greatest disasters.