Fire broke out in Thomas Farriner's bakery on Sunday, September 2, 1666. The fire began to spread rapidly, and Sir Thomas Bloodworth, the mayor, was called in to get permission to demolish adjacent buildings to create a firebreak. Unfortunately, he did not grant permission and should bear some responsibility for the further spread of the fire due to his inaction. By Monday, the fire had threatened to burn across London Bridge. It had also reached the financial district, prompting a frantic dash to rescue coinage before it melted into lumps. By Tuesday, St. Paul's Cathedral was ruined, thanks to wooden scaffolding surrounding it that caught fire. Firebreaks were created around the Tower of London to prevent gunpowder stores from exploding. On Wednesday, firebreaks began being more effective as winds began to die down. It is crazy to think that fires were still burning two and three months after the fact, but there were apparently several cases of coal in basements continuing to burn.

This book discussed firefighting in this time period in addition to the fire, which I was extremely interested in. I grew up in a fire and first responder family, so I always love learning about that type of thing. I would love to visit one of the fire museums here to see some similar equipment from this time period. I appreciated the outlining of coordinated firefighting efforts and how firebreaks were used in trying to control this massive fire.

One thing that I learned while reading this and looking up subsequent photos, was that Samuel Pepys was alive and viewed this fire in real time. I had no idea. Another thing I learned was that this fire developed into a firestorm. I suppose I thought it just went from one building to the next, but it created it's own weather. I also learned that there are monuments and a historical tour you can take if you are in London. If you happen to live in that area, or are planning to visit, this would probably be a really neat thing to check out. As far as this book goes, I bought it for .75 at my local used bookstore, and it was absolutely worth that amount of money. I think this was also on sale on Audible/in the Plus Catalog not too long ago, so if you use Audible, check that out. I thought it was researched very well, and written in an attention keeping way. I am so-so on the accuracy of the death toll. I find it difficult to believe that this fire only killed 10 or less people, for the amount of area that was burned. I find it especially difficult to believe when considering that there were people in tents and shacks in one area of the city. This was also not a typical fire, it was a firestorm. The temperatures were certainly hot enough to cremate bodies. I am just not really believing that death toll, and I can see why it is challenged by historians and those who are experts in fires.