When did the Great Fire of London take place?
Q: When did the Great Fire of London take place?
A: The Great Fire of London took place from 2nd September until 6th September 1666.
Q: How many people were living in London at the time?
A: At the time, it is estimated that 80,000 people were living in London.
Q: What caused the fire to start?
A: The fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) on Pudding Lane just after midnight on Sunday 2nd September.
Q: How was the fire stopped from spreading further?
A: Firefighters usually made firebreaks by destroying buildings around the fire so it could not spread. However, this did not happen quick enough and Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bloodworth was not certain what to do by the time he ordered such measures. The Tower of London guard eventually used gunpowder to make good firebreaks that stopped the fire from spreading to the east.
Q: Who wrote about this event in their diary?
A: Samuel Pepys wrote about this event in his famous diary when he looked out of his window and saw it starting.
Q: What effect did this have on Charles II's court at Whitehall?
A: The fire threatened Charles II's court at Whitehall but never reached it due to good firebreaks being put in place before it could get there.
Q: Did this help with any other issues facing London at that time?
A: It is said that this helped to get rid of the Great Plague which had hit London in 1665 and killed about 70,000 people who may have died in the fire as well.
