I live in Wisconsin now. #3Fan needs to be run through the Peshtigo Fire Museum up here north of me. The Peshtigo Fire occurred the same day as the Chicago Fire (October 8 1871) so it got little notice from the newspapers (nothing changes, huh).
Around half the population of Peshtigo (pop. 3000) died in the fire which consumed 3.5 MILLION acres of NE Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula Michigan forest. It even jumped Green Bay! See the pic.
So yes it can happen here in the Midwest. And a wise person would keep that in mind.