Fire Boss is a novel based on the largest mine explosion in Roslyn, Washington, that occurred on May 10, 1892.

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The blast killed 45 men and left hundreds of widows and children in its wake. Because Roslyn was such a small and closely-knit community, people watched out for each other, and the entire town grieved together.

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This event impacted the town so greatly that business owners boarded up their windows for the mass funeral two days later.