Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major fire that swept through the central parts of London, England, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666 (old style).The fire destroyed much of the older City of London inside the old Roman City Wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the posher district of Westminster (the modern West End), Charles II's Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums.
By the end of it, it had destroyed13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities.
It is estimated that it destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City's 80,000 inhabitants.
The death toll from the fire is unknown and has traditionally been thought to have been small, as only a few verified deaths are recorded.
Where did it start?
The fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday, 2 September, and spread rapidly.
The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of demolition, was critically delayed due to the indecisiveness of the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth.
By the time large-scale demolitions were ordered on Sunday night, the wind had already fanned the bakery fire into a firestorm which easily overcame any firebreaks.
The fire pushed north on Monday into the heart of the City. Order in the streets broke down as rumours arose of suspicious foreigners setting fires.
The fears of the homeless focused on the French and Dutch, England's enemies in the ongoing Second Anglo-Dutch War; these substantial immigrant groups became victims of lynchings and other street violence.
On Tuesday, the fire spread over most of the City, destroying St. Paul's Cathedral and leaping the River Fleet to threaten Charles II's court at Whitehall.
The social and economic problems created by the disaster were overwhelming. Evacuation from London and settlement elsewhere were strongly encouraged by Charles II, who feared a London rebellion amongst the dispossessed refugees. Despite numerous radical proposals, London was reconstructed on essentially the same medieval street plan used today.
How was it stopped?
Two factors defeated the fire, the strong east winds died down at last, and the Tower of London garrison used gunpowder to create effective firebreaks to halt further spread eastward. If these two had not stopped it, it is more than likely that they fire would have consumed the entire city.