The Great Fire of London breaks out - On this day in history

On this day in history, 1666: The Great Fire of London breaks out at Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane shortly after midnight near to London Bridge. Unfortunately, a strong easterly wind took hold of the flames, catastrophically collapsing 300 houses in its wake. Samuel Pepys kept a log in his diary observing the events surrounding the fire.

It is remarkable that only six people are reported to have died during the chaos, although some people wonder if the poor and middle class fatalities were included in the recounts. Luckily the Tower of London managed to escape unscathed but St Paul’s Cathedral wasn’t as fortunate; the cathedral collapsed and washed away down the River Thames. It wasn’t until the 6 September that the entirety of the flames were finally extinguished. This tragic event devastated London leaving many homeless and only one fifth of the city was left standing.