Fire Witch: Kate Claxton and the 1876 Brooklyn Theatre Inferno

Despite her supernatural nickname, Kate was no witch. But after the tragic events of December 5, 1876, when she stood onstage amid the panic and flames as the Brooklyn Theatre burned around her, Kate became inseparably connected with the disaster.

This inferno, along with multiple subsequent blazes that occurred in hotels and theaters where Kate was present, branded her as “Fire Witch” and “Fire Fiend,” labels that followed her for the rest of her days.