Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London happened in Central London in 1666. It lasted for just under five days, from 2nd September until 6th September.

Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London, September 1666. Painted by an unknown artist
Date	2–6 September 1666 (1666-09-02 – 1666-09-06)
Location	London, United Kingdom
Cause	Bakery fire
Casualties
13,500 houses damaged
87 parish churches damaged
Deaths	6

Estimates say that the fire destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the city's 80,000 residents.^[1] It is not known how many people died in the fire. Only a few deaths are certain, but for many of the victims there were no records. The fire may have cremated many people, leaving no recognisable remains.

The fire threatened the aristocratic district of Westminster (the modern West End), Charles II's Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums, but it never reached these districts.^[2]

Events

The fire started from a few oven sparks at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) on Pudding Lane. It began just after midnight on Sunday 2nd September and grew very quickly.

Firefighters of the time usually made firebreaks by destroying buildings around the fire so it could not spread. This did not happen quickly enough because Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bloodworth was not certain what to do. By the time he ordered such measures, it was too late. The Tower of London guard used gunpowder to make good firebreaks that stopped the fire from spreading to the east.

The fire pushed north on Monday into the center of the city. Some people thought fires were being set by French and Dutch people (who at the time were England's enemies in the Anglo-Dutch Wars).

On Thursday, the fire spread over most of the city. It destroyed St. Paul's Cathedral and crossed over the River Fleet. It almost reached Charles II's court at Whitehall.

Effects

The Great Fire caused major social and economic problems. Charles II strongly encouraged people to leave London to go and live elsewhere. He feared a London rebellion amongst the refugees who had lost their property.

Despite numerous radical proposals, London was reconstructed on essentially the same street plan used before the fire.^[3]

Some historians think the fire may have helped to stop the Great Plague of London. Others say this is a myth.^[4]

Historians know a lot about the Great Fire because Samuel Pepys kept a diary and survived the fire. When it started, he looked out of his window, saw the fire, and started writing about it.^[5]

Damages

Estimates say the Great Fire destroyed 436 acres,^[4] 13,200 houses,^[4][6] 87 parish churches,^[4] 44 Company^[source?] Halls, the Royal Exchange,^[6] the Custom House^[source?], St Paul's Cathedral,^[6] the Bridewell Palace^[source?] and other City prisons, the General Letter Office^[source?], and the three western city gates—Ludgate,^[7] Newgate^[source?], and Aldersgate^[source?].^[8]