The “Great Fire of London” of 1666 was one of the largest and most terrible fires in the world. It burned down a large part of the city of London in 5 days from September 2, 1666 to September 6, 1666. Although the death in this fire was very low, the extent of its damage was severe. This fire destroyed more than 400 acres of London, including about 13,200 houses, 87 churches, businesses and other important structures. Even today, this fire is considered one of the worst fires in history.
Origin of the fire-
On September 2, 1666, a fire broke out in a bread shop, ‘Pudding Lane’ in London. The fire accidentally started when the shopkeeper was baking bread in an oven. The weather was hot at that time and the wind was very strong, which caused the fire to spread quickly in the city. At that time, most of the houses in the city of London were made of wood, which made the spread of the fire even faster and more dangerous. In addition, the narrow streets of London and the old city infrastructure made it difficult to contain the fire.
Spread of the fire-
The fire quickly spread to other parts of the city of London and within a few hours had engulfed the entire city. The fire was further accelerated by strong winds. The old structures of the city of London, which were about 40-50 years old and the dense population, made it impossible to stop the fire. The entire “City of London” area where banks, shops, residential areas and churches were located, was burned down.
Extent of damage and consequences of the fire-
The fire left about 100,000 people homeless. However, the death in this terrible fire was very low, estimated at 6 to 8 people. However, the economic damage was large. About 13,200 houses, 87 churches and businesses were completely destroyed. In addition, “The Ancient St. Paul’s Cathedral of London” and other historic buildings in the city were also burned down.
The fire caused a deep economic crisis for the city. It caused a huge amount of property damage and caused a shortage of food, shelter and other necessities for people to survive.
Firefighting system and challenges-
In 1666, London’s firefighting system was very weak. Since most of the houses in the city were made of wood, it became very difficult to prevent fires, and at the same time, the firefighting system in London was old and insufficient. After the fire started, some people tried to put out the fire with water drums and old pumps, but these efforts were ineffective. Due to the narrow streets and dense population of London, it was not possible to control the fire.
Reconstruction and modern city planning-
After the Great Fire of London, the reconstruction of the city of London began. The city was rebuilt under the leadership of the famous architect “Christopher Wren” and other architects. The newly built buildings in the city of London were made of stone and brick, which are capable of resisting fire. At that time, including “St. Paul’s Cathedral”, other historical and religious buildings were rebuilt.
From this time, modern approaches to urban planning began to be applied. The city’s roads were also widened so that rescue operations could be carried out more quickly in the event of any future disaster. In addition, the “fire extinguishing system” was further improved and new regulations were made for building construction.
The Great Fire of London and Modern London –
The process of rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of London laid the foundation for the modern form of the city of London. The lessons learned from the mistakes of this fire accident in 1666 took the city of London to a new horizon because after this accident, modern styles were introduced in the city’s infrastructure, urban planning and building construction.
Today’s city of London is known for its historical architecture and modern urban planning. “St. Paul’s Cathedral”, “London Bridge”, “Tower of London” and many other historical structures and buildings were rebuilt after the Great Fire of London. As a result, today’s London has become a developed and modern city in the world.
Conclusion-
The Great Fire of London was a terrible disaster, but its aftermath led to the reconstruction of the city of London and the beginning of modern urban planning. Learning from the mistakes of that time, modern architecture and firefighting systems were improved. Although this fire was a terrible accident in the history of London, it was also marked as a significant moment, which brought a new vision for the future of the city.