What Started the Fire of London?

By Anna Duncan

The Great Fire of London is one of the most significant disasters in British history. It was a catastrophic event that destroyed much of the city and left thousands homeless.

The fire raged for four days, from September 2 to September 6, 1666, and it is estimated that it destroyed over 13,000 homes, 87 churches, and many other buildings. But what started the fire? There are several theories.

One theory is that the fire was started by a baker’s oven. Thomas Farriner was a baker who lived on Pudding Lane in London.

He had an oven in his house where he baked bread. On the night of September 2, he forgot to put out the fire in his oven before going to bed. It is believed that a spark from the oven ignited some nearby wood shavings and started the fire.

Another theory is that the fire was started by a Frenchman who was staying at Farriner’s house. Robert Hubert confessed to starting the fire and claimed that he threw a flaming grenade into Farriner’s bakery. However, it later emerged that Hubert had never been to London before and could not have been responsible for starting the fire.

A third theory is that the fire was started by arsonists. At the time, there was much political unrest in London, with many people unhappy with King Charles II’s rule. Some people believed that the fire was started by political dissenters who wanted to overthrow the king.

Regardless of how it started, once the fire took hold, it quickly spread due to strong winds and dry weather conditions. The narrow streets of London made it difficult for firefighters to reach the source of the blaze, and there were few effective firefighting techniques available at the time.

In conclusion, while there are several theories about what started the Great Fire of London, we may never know for certain what caused this devastating event. However, we can learn from this tragedy and take steps to prevent similar disasters in the future. The Great Fire of London was a stark reminder of how quickly a fire can spread and the importance of having effective fire safety measures in place.