There Were Fewer Deaths In The Great Fire of London Than You Might Think
You have undoubtedly heard of the disastrous Great Fire of London if you have any interest in London's history. The Great Fire of London was a significant fire that engulfed the heart of London between Sunday, September 2, and Thursday, September 6, 1666. Within the ancient Roman city wall, the fire destroyed the medieval City of London.
On Sunday, September 2, just after midnight, a fire broke out in a bakery and quickly spread throughout the building. Due to Sir Thomas Bloodworth, the Lord Mayor's indecision, the adoption of the primary firefighting method at the time—creating firebreaks by demolition—was severely delayed. The wind had already turned the bakery fire into an inferno by the time extensive demolitions were mandated on Sunday night, defeating such efforts. On Monday, the fire spread to the city's center from the north. As rumors of questionable foreigners starting fires spread, order in the streets was disrupted. The French and Dutch, two significant immigrant groups who were the targets of street violence and England's adversaries in the ongoing Second Anglo-Dutch War, were the subjects of the homeless' anxieties. Almost the entire City was affected by the fire on Tuesday, which also destroyed St. Paul's Cathedral and threatened Charles II's court at Whitehall by crossing the River Fleet. Firefighting operations were being coordinated at the same time. The Tower of London garrison employed gunpowder to effectively establish firebreaks, which prevented the fire from spreading further east, and the strong east wind diminished, which are regarded as the two decisive reasons in the struggle to put out the fire.
Despite the fire's massive destruction, only six people were confirmed dead. However, the actual number is unknown because it is impossible to determine how many people died as a result of the fire's causes after the fact. To honor the catastrophe, the Monument building was erected in 1677 and is still standing today. It was the city's tallest structure at the time.
