Great Fire of London
A fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane and destroyed 13,200 houses in London
September 02, 1666
A Fire That Started in a Bakery
In the early morning hours of September 2, 1666, a fire broke out in a bakery on Pudding Lane in the City of London. A spark from the oven is believed to have set the building alight, and strong winds quickly spread the flames to nearby structures. London at the time was a crowded city of closely packed wooden buildings with thatched roofs, making it dangerously vulnerable to fire. The blaze burned for four days, spreading through the medieval city and consuming everything in its path. The fire jumped streets and alleys with frightening speed, and there was little firefighters of the era could do to stop it.
The Scale of Destruction
By the time the fire was out, it had destroyed around 13,200 houses, 87 churches including the original St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City of London authority. The fire left roughly 70,000 of the city's 80,000 inhabitants homeless. Remarkably, official death records list only a few deaths, though historians believe the true toll was likely higher, as the deaths of poorer residents were less likely to be recorded. The economic damage was enormous, and the disaster wiped out much of the city's built environment that had existed since medieval times.
Rebuilding a Better City
The Great Fire led to a dramatic rebuilding of London using brick and stone instead of wood. Architect Christopher Wren designed a new St. Paul's Cathedral and dozens of other churches that still stand today. New building regulations were introduced to reduce fire risk, and the fire insurance industry got its start partly in response to the disaster. King Charles II and his brother James were praised for their personal involvement in fighting the fire and organizing relief. The rebuilt London was safer, more organized, and more resilient than the city that had burned. Use our date calculator to see how long ago London burned and was reborn.