Great DeLand Fire decimated town’s business district

The town of DeLand had barely sprouted when disaster struck. On Sept. 27, 1886, 140 years ago, a major fire swept the town’s main streets. More than 20 buildings were destroyed. The two blocks of the business district between Rich and New York avenues lay in ashes.

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At the time, DeLand was a town of about 1,000 people, not a large place but still the biggest city in Volusia County. Daytona, its cross-county rival, was No. 2 at the time, with a little over 700 people. The town had decided on its name in 1876 and had incorporated in 1882.

Did a lit cigar and sawdust-covered floor start the DeLand blaze?

The fire started sometime after midnight behind the Wilcox Saloon on the east side of the 100 block of North Woodland Boulevard. The story is told that it started when a lit cigar fell on the sawdust-covered floor. The West Volusia Historical Society has a marker on the saloon’s site. The flames quickly jumped to the other side of the boulevard.

After downtown burned, DeLand’s businesses rebuilt the city center out of fireproof brick. New ordinances mandated brick or stone buildings in commercial districts. Pre-fire central DeLand was made of pine. Post-fire, it took on the familiar, redbrick character it has today.

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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Great DeLand Fire decimated town’s business district

Reporting by Mark Lane, Special to The News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal

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This story was originally published September 6, 2026 at 5:04 AM.