On August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812, British troops entered Washington, D.C., after defeating American forces at the Battle of Bladensburg. Led by Major General Robert Ross, the British army marched into the nearly abandoned capital and set fire to several public buildings, including the U.S. Capitol, the Treasury, and the White House. The attack was partly in retaliation for the American burning of York (present-day Toronto) in 1813. A severe thunderstorm, possibly a tornado, helped extinguish the fires and drove the British forces out of the city. This dramatic event marked the only time a foreign power has occupied the U.S. capital.