On this day in 1666, the Great Fire of London began in a bakery on Pudding Lane, quickly growing into one of the most destructive disasters in the city’s history. Over four days, it consumed more than 13,000 houses, 87 churches, the Royal Exchange, and even St Paul’s Cathedral.
The fire started in the early hours of 2 September and was fuelled by wooden buildings, narrow streets, and strong winds. Panic spread as flames leapt from house to house. By the time it was extinguished, around 80,000 Londoners were left homeless.
Leadership proved crucial. The Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bludworth, infamously dismissed the fire, saying “Pish! A woman could piss it out,” before returning to bed. His hesitation allowed the flames to spread. In contrast, King Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, personally joined the firefighting efforts, ordering firebreaks, pulling down houses to stop the advance, and distributing buckets to citizens.
The scale of the destruction led to wild rumours and conspiracy theories. Some claimed it was a Catholic plot, others blamed foreigners- leading to mob attacks on anyone who looked “suspicious.” The panic was so intense that a French watchmaker, Robert Hubert, falsely confessed to starting the fire and was executed, though he almost certainly had nothing to do with it.
Contemporary writers suggested the disaster was foretold. The year 1666 was linked with apocalyptic fears of “666” from the Book of Revelation, while some almanacs predicted calamity. Preachers even declared the fire was divine punishment, likening it to fire called down from heaven in the Book of Kings.
The blaze melted gold and silver stored by goldsmiths and jewellers, which ran like rivers through the streets. Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, recorded how desperate Londoners buried their wine, cheese, and valuables in gardens to save them.
In the aftermath, London rebuilt on a grander scale. Sir Christopher Wren designed the new St Paul’s Cathedral, while stricter building codes required the use of brick and stone instead of wood. The fire, though devastating, reshaped the city into the London we know today.
The Great Fire of London remains a turning point in British history- a disaster born in chaos, remembered as the moment London rose from its ashes.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Hurricane Katrina strikes the US (2005)
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