London’s Inferno
This summer has seen destructive wildfires rage across California, Arizona, Texas and other states. In Alberta, Canada, about 88,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes because of wildfires.
Wildfires generally start in areas of forest or brush. They may then spread to nearby buildings.
But fires were once huge threats to cities, as well. This year marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, which almost completely destroyed the city.
A dry city
City officials passed laws forbidding building with flammable materials, but they weren’t well enforced.
Narrow streets
Many of London’s streets had originally been built for foot traffic or wheelbarrows. They were so narrow that in many roadways, the upper stories of houses on either side of the road were almost touching.
There were a few fire engines, but the narrow, winding and bumpy streets made them hard to maneuver. People used leather buckets and “squirts” to fight fires.
About 300,000 people lived in London and its suburbs at the time of the fire. Night watchmen called out to Londoners: “Midnight. Look to your lock, your fire and your light, and so goodnight!”
In 1666, most buildings in London were constructed of timber rather than stone or brick. They were sealed with pitch, a tarlike substance, and many roofs were made of
thatch, or straw. Some chimneys were even made of wood!
A dry season
London was suffering a drought, or extended period without rain, that fall. Rivers were nearly dry, and wells and aqueducts held very little water. (An aqueduct is a manmade channel for moving water from one place to another.)
A terrible disease called the plague had spread through London the year before, killing tens of thousands. People were more afraid of getting sick than they were of their city burning.