The Great Fire of London

The summer of 1666 was very hot and dry in London. One Sunday in September, a great fire started in the city. It began late at night in a street not far from London Bridge. Today, the Monument stands there to remind people of the terrible fire.

A hot east wind was blowing, and the fire spread quickly. Most houses in London were made of wood. The richer houses had brick or stone foundations only. The fire burned for five days, and nothing could stop it. There were no fire brigades at that time. The flames made the night as bright as day for ten miles around London. People left their burning houses and went to the fields across the Thames. They built tents and lived there for some time.

About thirteen thousand houses were destroyed, and many people lost their homes. But the fire also helped the city. It burned the dirty narrow streets where the plague had spread a year earlier. Later, new wide streets and brick houses appeared in London. Sir Christopher Wren, a famous architect, helped rebuild the city. He built St. Paul’s Cathedral, where he is buried.