[Video] Today in History: The Great Fire of London 9.2.1666

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Today in History: [Video] The Great Fire of London
September 2, 1666

On September 2, 1666, disaster struck London when a small spark in the king’s baker’s house on Pudding Lane ignited what became known as the Great Fire of London. What began as an accident in the middle of the night soon roared into an uncontrollable inferno.

The city was especially vulnerable. Most buildings were made of timber, packed tightly along narrow streets. A long, hot summer had left everything dry, and strong winds fanned the flames. Within hours, the fire leapt from house to house, spreading across the heart of the city.

For four days the blaze raged. Attempts to halt it by tearing down houses proved too slow, and entire districts fell to ash. Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, a medieval landmark, was reduced to ruins. In the end, about 13,000 homes were destroyed, leaving tens of thousands of Londoners homeless.

Remarkably, official records noted relatively few deaths, though some historians believe the true toll was far higher. What cannot be disputed is the immense devastation. Businesses collapsed, families lost everything, and London was left facing a massive rebuilding effort.

From the ashes, however, came renewal. Sir Christopher Wren would design a new St. Paul’s Cathedral, and building regulations were introduced to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. The Great Fire of London remains one of the most defining disasters in the city’s history, reshaping it forever.