What Stopped the Great Fire of London?

By Michael Ferguson

In 1666, a devastating fire broke out in London that lasted for four days and destroyed a significant portion of the city. The Great Fire of London is a historic event that is still remembered to this day. But what stopped the fire from spreading further and causing more destruction?

Many factors contributed to containing the fire, including the weather conditions, firefighting efforts, and the actions taken by ordinary citizens. Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.

Weather Conditions:
One significant factor that helped stop the Great Fire of London was the change in wind direction. The wind direction changed on the third day of the fire, blowing towards an area where buildings had already been destroyed. This helped prevent further spread of the flames.

Firefighting Efforts:
The firefighters were quickly overwhelmed by the scale and intensity of the fire due to a lack of resources. However, they did make some attempts to control it. They created firebreaks by demolishing buildings in front of where the fire was heading and used gunpowder to blow up houses in its path.

Citizens’ Actions:
The actions taken by ordinary citizens also played an essential role in stopping the Great Fire of London. When they realized how severe it was becoming, they started evacuating their homes and businesses, taking valuable possessions with them.

Additionally, they formed bucket brigades to help extinguish smaller fires and remove items that could fuel larger fires. Many people also opened their houses to those who had lost their homes, providing shelter and support for those affected.

One individual who played an instrumental role in stopping the Great Fire was John Evelyn. He suggested using gunpowder as a way to create controlled explosions that would stop or slow down fires’ spread.

In conclusion, several factors contributed to stopping the Great Fire of London from causing even more destruction than it did. The change in wind direction helped steer flames away from previously untouched areas while firefighters created barriers with controlled demolitions.

The action of citizens in evacuating and forming bucket brigades helped to contain small fires. Together, these factors ultimately led to the fire’s end and the rebuilding of London’s cityscape.