Wednesday afternoon, 28 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students are performing a reenactment of the great Green Bay fire of 1880.  The reenactment takes place from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m.

On September 20, 1880, sparks from the ship Oconto started a fire that tore through Green Bay’s east side, destroying about 100 structures and causing 1 death.  Using research from that period, students will reenact the fire on Twitter.  Their characters will describe what they’re seeing, feeling, and doing during the course of the fire.  The Twitter audience will get to interact with the characters and ask them questions through live tweets.  The hashtag to follow the event is #GBFire1880.

After the reenactment, local author and firefighter David Siegel will give a public lecture on the fire.