Fact About the Great Fire of London

Even though more than 13,500 homes, 87 churches, and company halls were destroyed, only 10 people perished as people fled rather than fight the flames.

Homes back then were made of wood and covered with highly flammable pitch; roofs were thatched with hay as insulation.

1. It started in Pudding Lane

On Sunday morning of September 2, 1666, flames broke out along Pudding Lane and Fish Hill, propelled by strong east winds which helped spread it house by house. Furthermore, flames reached as far as warehouses full of oil and tallow which incinerated even faster due to being highly combustible mixtures that made up these stores – further exacerbating their rapid spread.

By evening, 13200 homes had been destroyed along with 87 churches; landmarks like The Royal Exchange and Guildhall also experienced severe damage; ultimately causing it to travel 1 1/2 miles across London.

As soon as the fire broke out, residents of London experienced widespread panic. Some left their homes quickly while others buried or hidden everything they couldn’t take with them. Samuel Pepys, a clerk to the navy, wrote in his diary about witnessing flames leap from building to building as it spread rapidly through the city.

Some residents began to blame foreigners, specifically England’s war with the Dutch who they blamed for starting the fire. Others saw it as punishment from God for sinful ways of life in their city and saw it as punishment from him for setting it ablaze.

Monument to the Great Fire of London stands on Pudding Lane just 202 feet from where it started and serves as a symbol of hope, rememberance and bravery of London residents who helped to fight it; also providing tourists from around the globe a way to visit it as part of London tourist attractions.

2. It was caused by a baker

Thomas Farriner was alarmed to find his house and bakery burning early on September 2, 1666. Attempting to put out the flames himself, but too late. Only Hanna survived while most other members of their family perished in the fire.

Fire quickly spread across London streets due to strong winds. People panicked, gathering their belongings and fleeing as quickly as they could from the flames – some ran for safety into the Thames River while others took refuge in nearby hills. By the time St Paul’s Cathedral had been reached by this inferno it could be seen for miles around.

At this time, England and Holland were in war, leading many people to blame the fire on foreigners – particularly Catholics or enemy soldiers – as some believed it was God’s judgment upon a sinful city. Today, its origin is known as Pie Corner and marked with a statue depicting a plump boy.

Robert Hubert, who worked as a watchmaker in Paris at the time of the fire, was arrested and interrogated about it. Later he admitted setting it himself and was hanged at Tyburn; his version of events has largely been discredited though not alone is it considered part of any conspiracy theory about it.

As the fire spread, King Charles assumed control, overruling City authorities and assigning his brother James as commander of operations. James deployed men along key locations outside the city with orders to demolish buildings as necessary and set up a Fire Court to settle disputes between tenants and landlords as to who should pay to rebuild lost homes.

3. It was set by a French watchmaker

The Great Fire of London was one of the greatest tragedies to ever strike Britain, leaving thousands homeless and many businesses bankrupted in its path. What began as a simple spark from an oven quickly escalated into a devastating firestorm encompassing entire neighborhoods for four days – leaving thousands homeless.

At first, Londoners panicked as soon as the fire started and sought refuge wherever possible – whether by fleeing on foot to hills or boats on rivers; but more commonly they packed their belongings into carts or trunks and fled as quickly as they could.

By Monday evening, the fire had reached the edge of London. By Tuesday morning, it had spread rapidly, covering half of it and engulfing St Paul’s Cathedral – so hot that melted lead from its roof began dripping down into the streets like an onrushing river.

At the time, there was no way of knowing exactly how the fire began; however, various theories surfaced as to its cause – some suggested saboteur from France setting off fireworks or possibly watchmaker Robert Hubert who worked nearby having started it as his work area was compromised by flames.

Although the Great Fire caused extensive destruction, only six people perished as a result of its flames. Rebuilding took place using brick and stone instead of wood for reconstruction purposes; new ideas such as grid-patterned streets designed by Sir Christopher Wren were implemented due to this change in material usage. Furthermore, it helped eliminate rats and fleas that had spread the Plague during this period.

4. It was a result of a drought

At the time of its outbreak, weather conditions were perfect for rapid spread. London had experienced an extended and severe drought which dried out its predominantly wooden buildings severely; with strong east winds fanning the flames further. Samuel Pepys, who lived at this time and recorded its occurrence, described it as “absolutely terrible”. He headed down to Tower of London to witness its massive fire engulfing it before swiftly reporting back to Whitehall. The King ordered that all houses be demolished; but this proved impossible as the fire consumed everything it touched. People were forced to flee for their lives, gathering any valuables they could carry and sprinting towards either the river or jumping from their windows onto one another’s rooftops!

People were alarmed and paranoid as the fire spread, quickly prompting finger pointing and accusations against Holland as Britain and Holland were at war at that time. Blaming Dutch spies for starting the blaze became all the more likely when both general letter office and publishing offices of government’s official journal burned down, rendering news from outside impossible and creating the possibility that full scale attack by them imminent!

Fire began raging through the city on 5 September and within days was completely out of control, destroying four fifths of it – including 85 churches and all civic halls – by 6th September. Only six recorded deaths are known but it’s likely far higher; furthermore, this fire contaminated water supplies and left thousands homeless.

5. It was a result of xenophobia

In 1666, London experienced its worst fire ever but only about 100 lives were lost as a result of it. While much damage was done due to buildings constructed of wood that burned quickly, other tragedies caused more casualties than The Great Fire of London.

After the fire had subsided, panic erupted almost immediately – killing more people than the actual fire itself. Riots ensued with fingers quickly pointed at foreigners as quickly as Roman Catholics and Frenchmen were targeted with Pepys observing how crowds vented out their fury against Roman Catholics and Frenchmen; Spanish ambassador opened his home to refugee protestant Dutch and Catholic French alike as religious bigotry and xenophobia caused by Reformation and Gunpowder Plot returned with full force.

As the fires burned, many residents fled their homes and sought shelter on the streets, where many poor and homeless sought to take refuge from hunger, exposure and disease. Many began dying within days; those that survived would then find refuge squatting in makeshift shelters or camping on open ground around their cities.

Christopher Wren and some luck helped avert a larger disaster from unfolding, as strong east winds that had fanning the flames became calmer; additionally, Tower of London garrison used gunpowder as effective firebreaks, stopping any further spread towards Whitehall or Parliament.

Only six people were reported as dying during the fire itself; it is impossible to ascertain exactly how many died as a result of subsequent rioting or among working class Londoners who couldn’t afford to flee their homes and instead found themselves trapped outside on London streets.