The Great Fire of London

A lot of people will remember or have heard of The Great Fire of London which took place in 1666. This devastating incident has then caused the public to standardize urban firefighting. The aftermath of The Great Fire of London subsequently caused a public outcry and became the first famous fire documented. The Great Fire of London started on 02 September 1666 finishing on 06 September 1666.

It is believed fire began at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) on Pudding Lane shortly after midnight 02 September. The fire rapidly spread across London and the only firefighting technique of this time was to create firebreaks by means of demolitions. The decision to start large scale demolitions was ordered by the Lord Mayor of London and Sir Thomas Bloodworth. The fire had cause public worry and order on the streets broke out into anger.

The Great Fire of London began to cease due to two factors: the strong winds from the east died down and the Tower of London garrison used gunpowder to create effective firebreaks in the aid to stop the spread. Many social and economic problems were manifested from this disaster and an evacuation and resettlement was strongly suggested by Charles II. Despite several radical proposals, London was reconstructed with the similar street plan used prior to the fire.

From this event, the next steps towards fire safety were implemented.