The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that occurred in central London from Sunday, September 2, to Wednesday, September 5, 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west.
The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday, September 2, and spread rapidly. The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of removing structures in the fire’s path, was critically delayed by the hesitation of the Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bloodworth.
By the time large-scale demolitions were ordered on Sunday night, the wind had already fanned the bakery fire into a firestorm, which defeated such measures.
