The fire of 1666 destroyed the entire London in 4 days.
Great fire of london: London, the capital of Britain, is one of the most modern and bright cities in the world. But in 1666, the city went through a destruction that almost destroyed it. This was the ‘Great Fire of London’ i.e. ‘London’s big fire’ which started on 2 September 1666 and continued to burn the city uncontrollably for 4 days. This fire not only made thousands of people homeless, but also changed the history of London forever. Come, let us tell you in detail about this heartbreaking incident:
Started with a small spark
On the morning of 2 September 1666, a small bakery of Thomas Firinner caught fire in the Pading Lane in London. Firinner, who supplied bread for King Charles II of England, forgot to completely extinguish the fire of oven at night. A small spark emanating from the oven fell on the dry wood and the fire broke out. The narrow streets of the city soon hit the fire. At that time most of London buildings were made of wood, and the dry winds of summer left no stone unturned to further incite the fire.
Fire started spreading throughout the city due to the pudding lane
At first, people considered it a minor fire, but the strong wind blows made it uncontrollable. On seeing this, the fire engulfed the surrounding buildings and started spreading towards the entire city from the pudding lane. At that time there was no systematic system to extinguish the fire in London. People were trying to extinguish the fire by bringing water to the buckets, but it proved to be insufficient.
All the houses and churches in London came in the grip of fire.
London kept burning continuously for 4 days
The fire kept London in his grip from 2 to 5 September. During this period, about 80 percent of London buildings were destroyed, including 13,200 houses and 87 churches. Famous St. Paul Cathedral also fell on this fire. Around 70,000 to 80,000 people became homeless. People were forced to leave their homes and take refuge in the fields and surrounding areas. The fire destroyed business centers, godowns and markets. It is estimated that there was a loss of millions of pounds according to that time.
Innocent French was hanged
According to the official record, only 6 people died, but historians believe that this number could be more, as there was no account of the deaths of poor and unnamed people. At that time people blamed the French for the fire, as there was tension between England and France. Robert Hubert, a French working watching the clock, was hanged and hanged, although he later proved that he was innocent.
First insurance company started
It was only after this fire that the first insurance company started to prevent fire in London, which laid the foundation of the modern insurance industry. The most reliable detail of this fire is found from the diary of Samuel Peps. He wrote how he had run away in a boat to save his books and valuables. His diary is still an important source for historians.
The then King of Britain Charles II and Samuel Peps.
Efforts and challenges to extinguish fire
At that time there was no organized fire brigade in London. People were trying to make ‘firebreaks’ by breaking the buildings to prevent the fire, that is, buildings were dropped on the way to prevent the fire from spreading. But strong winds made it more difficult. Raja Charles II himself tried to help people in extinguishing the fire. Finally, on 5 September, the fire was controlled due to changing the wind trend and the firebrak strategy succeeded.
… and then London was reborn
This devastation changed London forever. The city was reconstructed by architects like Christopher Rain. The new buildings were built of stone and bricks, which were stronger than the earlier wooden buildings. New rules were made to prevent fire, such as wide roads and stone buildings. This fire united the people of London. Temporary camps were set up for the homeless people, and gradually the city achieved its bright again.
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