Rundles Begin Production in Peshtigo, Wisconsin for Deadly 1871 Wildfire Documentary

Emmy® Award winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films returned to Peshtigo, Wisconsin July 8-11th to film interviews for their new documentary Peshtigo: American Firestorm. 

The Peshtigo Wildfire broke out on October 8, 1871, the same day as the “Great” Chicago fire. Months of drought, smoldering logging fires, and a regional windstorm produced what witnesses described as a tornado made of fire. The fire burned 1.2 million acres and killed an estimated 1,500-2,500 people. The Peshtigo fire, not the Chicago fire, would prove to be the largest and most deadly fire in American history.

The husband and wife Fourth Wall Films team have been coordinating work on the project with the Peshtigo Historical Society, and they met with members of the group during their visit to share an update on the film’s progress. Completion of the documentary is planned for the fall of 2026.

"We are so grateful to this amazing group of people for all of their knowledge, guidance and support," said producer Tammy Rundle. "They have been on this journey with us from the very start. It would not be possible if not for them."

Peshtigo Historical Society Board and Tammy & Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films.

In addition to scouting locations in the Peshtigo-Marinette-Marquette area for a fall 2025 production trip, the Rundles conducted on-camera interviews focused on the local fire story with Peshtigo Fire Museum Director Laura Marotz and local historian Ron Strojny. 

Interviews with Wisconsin historian and author Dr. Jerry Apps, Jed Meunier, PhD, a research scientist with an expertise in fire ecology, and Wildfire Prevention Specialist Catherine Koele have also been completed. Meunier and Koele both work for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Apps, the author of more than 50 books, was recently honored by the Wisconsin State Senate with a joint resolution honoring Jerry for, “numerous, unique, and impactful contributions to Wisconsin’s heritage.”

Peshtigo Fire Museum Director and local historian Laura Marotz during her interview for Peshtigo: American Firestorm.

Peshtigo historian Ron Strojny during his on-camera interview for Peshtigo: American Firestorm.

The Rundles will return to Peshtigo on October 8, 2026 to film the annual commemoration of the fire and memorial for the victims.

“Peshtigo: American Firestorm” will combine vintage photos, artists renderings, limited re-enactments and archival materials with eye-witness accounts and perspectives from present-day historians and scholars to tell the dramatic story of America’s deadliest firestorm. “Peshtigo” is funded in part by a 2024 grant from Wisconsin Humanities.

Fourth Wall Films is a media production and distribution company formed in Los Angeles and now based in Illinois/Iowa Quad Cities. Fourth Wall Films’ Kelly and Tammy Rundle recently received their fifth Mid-America Emmy® Award for their newest historical documentary film “Resurrecting Forest Grove”. Their historical, environmental, and museum films have received a total of 14 Emmy nominations since 2011.

The Peshtigo Historical Society was founded in 1963 by a group of Peshtigo residents who wanted to ensure that the town's history of being the center of the deadliest forest fire in US history would never be forgotten. The Peshtigo Historical Society's mission is to learn, participate, preserve, and promote their local history.

The Peshtigo Fire Museum is located at 400 Oconto Avenue in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It is open every day Memorial Day through October 8th, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Donations are appreciated. Visit https://peshtigofiremuseum.com/ for more information. They are on the look out for volunteers!