A recent investigation conducted by the Federal Information Bureau (F.I.B.) has uncovered troubling inconsistencies in the supposed aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire. Archaeologists from the University of Chicago partnered with F.I.B. to analyze soil samples and structural foundations in areas reported to have been completely destroyed by the fire. What they found defies the official narrative. Core samples taken from beneath the streets of downtown Chicago showed no signs of fire damage in the geological record. In fact, layers of soil and sediment from the 1870s appear completely undisturbed, with no traces of ash, carbon residue, or heat damage. "If a fire of this magnitude had actually happened, we would expect to find a significant layer of burnt material beneath the modern city," stated Dr. Evelyn Carson, head archaeologist on the project. "Instead, what we're seeing is a consistent geological record that points to uninterrupted urban development." Even more suspicious is the fact that no recovered artifacts from the supposed fire — bricks, stones, and metal structures — show any signs of fire exposure. Metal samples tested for heat stress and oxidation revealed no evidence of extreme heat exposure, further supporting the conclusion that the fire was fabricated.

Newly unearthed testimonies from Chicago residents at the time of the alleged fire paint a very different picture from the official reports. F.I.B. researchers have obtained diaries and personal letters from citizens living in Chicago in October 1871 — and none of them mention a fire of any kind. Instead, several entries reference a city-wide "emergency drill" organized by the mayor's office, which involved staged evacuations and controlled demolitions for what was described as a "military readiness exercise." One particularly revealing letter from a Chicago resident named Henry Kessler reads:
 "There’s quite a commotion downtown today — the mayor’s office is directing people to clear the streets for some kind of practice run. No one seems particularly concerned, but the newspapers are making it sound like something serious. I suspect it’s just for show.” Following this so-called drill, local newspapers began printing sensationalized headlines about a massive citywide fire. However, F.I.B. researchers have discovered strong evidence that these newspapers were directly controlled by city officials. The Chicago Tribune, for example, received large donations from the mayor's office shortly before the supposed fire. Financial records show a sudden spike in payments to media companies around this time — a clear indication that the public narrative was being engineered from the top down.

The Federal Information Bureau’s forensic analysis of historic photographs claiming to depict the aftermath of the Chicago Fire has revealed a pattern of manipulation. Experts at F.I.B. used advanced imaging technology to analyze the shadows, angles, and textures in the photos — and the results were staggering. A well-known photograph showing "burned ruins" of the Chicago courthouse was found to have multiple inconsistencies. Shadows cast by buildings were inconsistent with the supposed time of day the fire occurred. Furthermore, overlay analysis revealed that several structures were duplicated or edited using early photographic manipulation techniques. "These photos were clearly staged," said Emily Hartford, lead forensic analyst at F.I.B. "There are visible signs of cut-and-paste edits, particularly around the edges of buildings. The scale and perspective are also mismatched, indicating that these images were created using composite photography — an early but effective technique to fabricate disaster imagery." Additionally, F.I.B. researchers found multiple photographs of the same Chicago streets before and after the fire — with no discernible changes aside from the removal of debris. This suggests that debris was likely staged for the photos, rather than the result of any real fire damage.