By 1843, the town of Fall River was a bustling center of about 8,000 people, along with the adjacent population in what was then still Tiverton, Rhode Island. On Sunday, July 2, 1843, with the temperatures in the 90s, a fire alarm rang out around 4 p.m. Water in the Quequechan River had been stopped so that some work could be done. The fire had begun when two boys were playing with a small cannon, igniting a pile of wood shavings near the corner of Main and Borden Street. Fed by high, dry winds, the entire space of buildings between Main, Franklin, Rock and Borden streets soon became engulfed in fire, beyond the control of firefighters. Much more destruction may have occurred if it had not been for a change in wind direction which blew the flames back toward the charred areas. The conflagration destroyed a total of 291 buildings over about 20 acres (81,000 m 2 ) at the heart of the town. About 200 families were left homeless by the blaze. The city lost vital shops, the custom house, post office, hotels, churches, and banks. An appeal for relief was made on July 4, 1843, by local officials. A total of over $50,000 (equivalent to $1,454,000 in 2021) was donated by people in Boston, Cambridge, Providence, New Bedford and other local towns. [8]