The Great Fire of London (1666)

The Great Fire of London

(1666)

The Great Fire of London was a major event that occurred in the City of London, England, in 1666. It had a major significance in the city's history and caused widespread destruction. The fire started on the night of September 2, 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane, near London Bridge.

The bakery was owned by Thomas Farriner, the royal baker to King Charles II. The fire began when a spark from the bakery's oven ignited some nearby straw or fuel, quickly spreading to the wooden structures nearby. The flames rapidly engulfed the area, fueled by strong winds and the predominantly wooden buildings of the city. Fortunately, Farriner and his family managed to escape the building.

 

While the cause of the fire is uncertain, it is widely believed that the fire was accidental and not deliberately started. The Great Fire of London lasted for 4 days, from September 2 to September 6, 1666. Overall, there were 13,200 houses, 87 churches and numerous other buildings destroyed. As a result, 70,000 people were left homeless.

In the aftermath, there were attempts to find someone to blame. A French watchmaker named Robert Hubert confessed starting the fire, but his confession was likely coerced. He was later found guilty and executed, but it was subsequently revealed that he couldn't have been responsible as he was not even in London at the time of the fire.

Execution of Robert Hubert

An official inquiry, known as the ''Rebuilding of London Act 1666'', was conducted to investigate the causes and make recommendations for rebuilding the city. The conclusion was that the fire was accidental and recommended that the buildings had to constructed with better materials, and streets must be widened to prevent the spread of future fires.