The Great Fire of London (1666): What Happened, and Fire Escape Lessons for Today
▶ Play free nowNo install · phone or PC · 3–4 minutes a runIn four days in September 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed most of the medieval City. Its lessons are surprisingly modern: act while a fire is small, put people before possessions, read the wind, stay low in smoke, never go back in, and don't spread rumours. This page draws on Samuel Pepys's and John Evelyn's diaries, the Museum of London and today's fire-safety guidance (London Fire Brigade, NHS, NFPA). In a real fire, always follow your fire service's official advice.
1. How it started
- The fire broke out after midnight on Sunday 2 September 1666 in a bakery on Pudding Lane, near London Bridge.
- After a long, dry summer the timber-framed houses, packed close with overhanging upper storeys, were tinder-dry, and a strong east wind drove the flames west into the City. Warehouses along Thames Street were full of pitch, tar, oil and brandy (Pepys, 2 September).
- The Lord Mayor saw the fire in the early hours and dismissed it. When people urged him to pull down houses, he hesitated because many were rented and the owners could not be found. Those first hours were lost.
2. Why it spread
- Saving goods instead of fighting the fire. Pepys saw people staying in their houses “till the very fire touched them”, then running for boats, the river full of lighters loaded with furniture.
- Fire-drops on the wind. Burning flakes flew five or six houses ahead and started new fires. Even on the river, facing the wind, you were showered with sparks.
- No water. The waterwheels under London Bridge burned, cutting off the piped supply. There was no fire brigade: Londoners had leather buckets, hand squirts and fire hooks kept in parish churches.
- Prices and panic. Hiring a cart rose from a few shillings to as much as £40; bread sold at twice the price in the fields.
3. How it was stopped
- Firebreaks. Pulling down houses in the fire's path was the only real defence. On Tuesday 4 September workmen and the Tower garrison used gunpowder to blow up houses near the Tower — and the fire stopped there (Pepys, 4 September).
- The wind dropped on Tuesday evening and the firebreaks held on Wednesday 5 September.
- Even then, coal was still burning in cellars two months later.
4. The cost
- About 13,200 houses, 87 of the City's 109 churches and St Paul's Cathedral burned; some 70,000–100,000 people lost their homes and camped in Moorfields and the fields toward Islington and Highgate.
- Stone did not save churches: roofs, pews and the goods people piled inside burned. Booksellers' stock stored in the crypt of St Paul's (St Faith's) was destroyed when the roof fell in.
- Recorded deaths were in single figures, but historians believe the real toll was higher.
5. The danger of rumours
- Rumours that foreigners had started the fire led to people with foreign accents being beaten in the streets. A young foreign watchmaker gave a false confession and was hanged — he had not even been in London when the fire began.
- Today historians regard the fire as an accident at the bakery. On the night of 5 September a panic that “enemies have risen” swept the fields; it was nothing (Pepys).
- Lesson: in a disaster, ask who actually saw it before you repeat it, and protect people who are being blamed.
6. Fire escape lessons for today
- Get out, stay out. If there is a fire, get everyone out and call the fire service. Don't stop for belongings, and never go back in (London Fire Brigade).
- Stay low in smoke. Smoke and heat rise; cleaner, cooler air is near the floor. Crawl, and cover your mouth and nose.
- Check doors with the back of your hand. If a door is hot, don't open it — use another way out.
- Only tackle a fire while it is small. If it grows, leave.
- Cool burns under cool running water for 20 minutes; no butter or ointment (NHS).
- Wildfire and the wind: leave early, and don't travel in the direction the wind is pushing the fire (NFPA).
- Plan your escape route in advance, with a second way out if the first is blocked (London Fire Brigade).
Try it as a game
In The Great Fire of London: Four Days Until the Flames Stop you face these choices yourself, between the beliefs of 1666 and what we know now.
FAQ
Where did the Great Fire of London start?
In a bakery on Pudding Lane, near London Bridge, shortly after midnight on Sunday 2 September 1666.
How long did the Great Fire of London last?
About four days. It began on Sunday 2 September 1666; the wind dropped on Tuesday evening and the fire was brought under control on Wednesday 5 September, though cellars kept burning for weeks.
How many people died in the Great Fire of London?
Only a handful of deaths were recorded (single figures), but historians believe the true number was higher because many deaths went unrecorded.
How was the fire stopped?
By firebreaks — pulling down and later blowing up houses with gunpowder in the fire's path — together with the wind dropping on Tuesday evening.
Did stone churches survive?
Mostly not: 87 of the City's 109 churches burned, along with St Paul's Cathedral. Roofs, pews and goods stored inside were fuel.
What is the most important fire-safety lesson from 1666?
Act early and put people before possessions. Today's rule from fire services is the same: get out, stay out, and call for help.
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