The Great Burn was a major land-clearing event that took place on July 19, 2026, encompassing the entirety of the Ashgate Reach district.
Initial Planning and the Clear-Cut
Originally, district planners had heavily forested the entire region, intending to cultivate a dense canopy that would give the settlement a more enclosed, “cosy” atmosphere. However, as Ashgate Reach expanded, the dense woodland proved overly claustrophobic. More critically, the trees severely obstructed the available land required for new civic and industrial development across all wards.
Consequently, a mandate was issued to completely clear-cut and burn away portions of the district’s forestry. The mass removal of the trees successfully opened up the necessary space for large-scale infrastructure projects.
The unprecedented volume of salvaged timber from the event necessitated the retrofitting of two rooms inside Underrest Lodge, converting them into a dedicated wood storage facility managed by copper golems.
The Provisionary Shift
Following the mass felling, the district experienced an extreme, sudden overabundance of apples. While this prevented immediate starvation, it created a dietary imbalance and a severe lack of substantial, storable staple crops like wheat, carrots, and potatoes. This temporary provisionary crisis directly prompted the construction of high-yield farming infrastructure, most notably The Cascade Granary.