The Great Fire of London began today and raged across the city, starting from a small bakery on Pudding Lane. What was a small fire turned into a massive inferno that raged for four days. It ended up destroying large parts of the city with an estimated 13,200 houses and countless other important buildings like churches.
Letter Recounting the Great London Fire
The Great Fire of London began in the early hours of Sunday, September 2, 1666. The origin was a small bakery on Pudding Lane, owned by Thomas Farriner. It began as a small fire that quickly grew into a raging firestorm that the locals were unable to control. This led it to burn for four days until it was finally extinguished on September 6.
Even efforts made to prevent and control the fire like demolishing buildings, creating firebreaks, and forming bucket brigades were unable to stop the fires. In the end, it destroyed 87 churches, including the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as 13,200 homes, 44 company halls, the Royal Exchange, and numerous other significant buildings.
The destruction caused by fire was due to several factors. The first of these was that most buildings in London were made with wood and thatch, highly flammable materials. The summer had left everything tinder-dry. While hot, strong winds allowed the flames to spread quickly.
At the time, one of the residents living in the city during the fire was Samuel Pepys, a government official who recorded his experience with the fire. It provides a rare first-hand account of what happened in this historic event.
The destruction of calamaties like this can be disasterous for societies, especially in ancient times. But fires aren’t the only crisis that society must face.
As said by Herodatus, there are few things as destructive as war in his wisdom.
“Lord’s Day. Some of our maids sitting up late last night to get things ready against our feast to-day, Jane called us up about three in the morning, to tell us of a great fire they saw in the City. So I rose, and slipped on my night-gown and went to her window, and thought it to be on the back side of Marke-lane at the farthest; but, being unused to such fires as followed, I thought it far enough off; and so went to bed again and to sleep.
About seven rose again to dress myself, and there looked out at the window, and saw the fire not so much as it was, and further off. So to my closet to set things to rights after yesterday’s cleaning.
By and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have been burned down to-night by the fire we saw, and that it is now burning down all Fish-street by London Bridge.”
-Samuel Pepys, London Government Official
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