What was the Great Fire of London?
The Great Fire of London was a massive fire that burned through the City of London from 2 to 6 September 1666. It destroyed more than 13,000 houses, 87 churches and the old St Paul's Cathedral.
The fire started in a bakery owned by Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane. It spread quickly because of strong winds, dry weather and closely packed wooden buildings.
The Lord Mayor was criticized for being slow to act. Eventually, houses were blown up with gunpowder to create firebreaks and stop the spread.
Aftermath
The official death toll was low, with only a handful of recorded deaths, but historians believe the true number may have been higher. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless.
Sir Christopher Wren designed the new St Paul's Cathedral and dozens of new churches. New building rules required houses to be built of brick and stone.
The Monument, a tall column near Pudding Lane, was built to commemorate the fire. It is 61 metres tall, the distance from its base to the site of the bakery. The fire is famously described in the diary of Samuel Pepys.