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Watch: Why did the Great Fire of London happen?

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How did the Great Fire of London start?

Bakery on Pudding Lane on fire.
  • People used fires for heating, cooking and lighting.
  • Houses were built from wood with thatched roofs. This meant they could catch fire easily.
  • The fire started in a bakery, near Pudding Lane on the night of 2nd September, 1666.
  • The bakery was owned by Thomas Farriner.
  • A spark from one of his ovens probably started the fire.
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What happened in the fire?

Map of London with fire in the centre.
  • The fire swept through London for four days. It destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, and even St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral.
  • People had to use horse-drawn carts to bring water up to the burning buildings because there were no proper fire engines.
  • People tried to stop the fire spreading by blowing up buildings. This left a gap called a firebreak.
Map of London with fire in the centre.
Samuel Pepys writing at his desk.
  • At first the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth, didn't allow people to make firebreaks.
  • The fire stopped when the strong wind dropped and people used gunpowder to create firebreaks.
  • Samuel Pepys kept a diary. He wrote all about the Great Fire in it.

Watch: Find out how the fire was put out

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What happened after the fire?

King Charles II and his dog on a boat.
  • So many homes were destroyed that King Charles II ordered the city to be rebuilt with houses made of stone and brick.
  • Sir Christopher Wren was a famous architect. He designed the new St. Paul鈥檚 Cathedral which took 35 years to build.
King Charles II and his dog on a boat.
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Did you know?

A sign on a house reading bread.
  • The Tower of London survived the Great Fire.
  • Although many homes were destroyed, not many people died.
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Activity: Quiz 鈥 The Great Fire of London

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