When London Burned

Including stories about orphans, parents, businesspeople and soldiers, this volume details the lives of those affected by the Great London Fire of 1666. Starting Sunday, September 2, 1666 and ending Wednesday, September 5, the Great London Fire swept through the central parts of London and destroyed over 13,000 houses, 87 parish churches, and the famous St. Paul's Cathedral. An estimated 70,000 of the city's 80,000 inhabitants were left homeless after the disaster, and the death toll of the conflagration is still unknown. The fire started in the bakery of Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane, shortly after midnight. Historians believe the fire could have been easily contained near the starting point, but common firefighting techniques of the time may have actually caused the city more disaster. Firefighters would create "firebreaks" by demolishing buildings. The idea was to contain the fire to only a few structures by destroying unaffected ones around the flames. After the flames were contained nearly a full three days after the fire's start, the rebuilding began. But the social and economic problems created by the disaster were overwhelming. Charles II encouraged many to relocate after the fire, for fear that there would be a rebellion. After a few years, though, London was reconstructed with the same street plan as used before the fire and remains one of the world's largest and most visited cities.