How fierce was the Great Fire of London in 1666? How much has London suffered?

On April 15, 2019, the 850-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral caught fire, which lasted for 14 hours, which is a loss for all humanity throughout Europe and the world, and it is said that it will take decades to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral. The fire was not the most impactful in European history, but the Great Fire of London in 1666. <

The fire in London lasted 4 days, the whole city 1 6 was burned, and the damage was heavy. The tragedy occurred at 1 a.m. on September 2, 1666, when a bakery in Cramped and dry Pudding Lane, London, England, forgot to turn off the fire. The fire lasted for 4 days and was finally extinguished due to heavy rain.

The fire was undoubtedly the worst in the history of London and the whole of the United Kingdom. Eighty-seven churches, 44 companies and more than 13,000 houses were burned down, and St Paul's Cathedral, the most famous in Britain, was reduced to ashes in the fire before being rebuilt.

The population of the city was 500,000 at the time, and 200,000 of them became refugees and fled London. The economic damage was estimated at 10 million pounds in London, and it would take 800 years to fill the hole according to the revenues of London at the time. There are several main reasons why this fire has such great destructive power:

The first is the weather. London in 1666 was unusually dry, and September was the time of the windy season. Dry and windy conditions are the most important conditions for the continuous spread of fires, and once the fire is burned, it is difficult to successfully extinguish it with the manpower of the time.

The second is that the whole city of London is dirty and messy, and London at that time was not the London it is now, with garbage everywhere, sewage flowing sideways, snakes, rats, insects and ants overflowing. In particular, some flammable garbage is piled up everywhere, and it can be imagined after a fire.

The third reason is that the city of London before 1666 was full of wooden houses. This is a bit similar to traditional Chinese architecture. The most feared thing about wooden buildings is fire.

London's wood-paneled houses are lined up in narrow streets, and when they encounter fires, they have a deflagration effect. Fortunately, there were not many people in this fire, and according to official reports, only 5 people were burned to death. The blessing of this fire was that it completely eliminated the plague problem that had ravaged Britain for more than 300 years, and the previous plague caused the death of 1 3 of the population of Britain.

On 2 September 1666, one of the worst fires in London's history took place, engulfing almost the entire city. Most of London was in ruins after the fires, many London homes were burned and some 10.2 million people were left homeless. Although only six people died in the fire, many people endured hunger, disease and other suffering from the fire.

It also burned for four days, and even extinguishing the fire was of no avail, and it could only be assumed that it would slow down its damage to London, which was so serious that the king himself personally went into the masses many times to direct it, and the losses of London were incalculable.

First, the city center was badly burned

The fire first set fire to only the bakery, but then a gust of wind quickly blew the flames through several narrow streets full of wooden houses, and then into warehouses on the north bank of the Thames. On Monday morning, 1 6 districts of London were in flames. The fire gradually spread westward, invading the wealthy residential areas of London.

The London Post Office was destroyed, and the official London Gazette was forced to cease publication after the publication of the first edition. Rumors abound in the city of London, and people were panicking. By midnight, the fire spread to the northwest, covering an area four times larger than before.

Also included in the burned buildings is the old Royal ** Exchange, where London merchants conducted foreign trade transactions. The fire even burned to the Tower of London, and people were not allowed to blow up houses with explosives to create a fire barrier and prevent more people from being injured. <>

2. In other areas, the fire continues unabated

At 20 o'clock on Monday night, St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest church in the United Kingdom, was surrounded by fire. At first, it was thought that St. Paul's Cathedral would be able to withstand the fire with its high stone walls and spacious courtyard. But the wind sent the flames up to the roof of the church, igniting the planks used to plug the holes, and before long the flames spread downwards and burned the wooden beams of the church, and the whole cathedral was suddenly in flames, and the entire roof was set on fire.

The flames then spilled on the ground and burned to the chapel of St. Fez, in the vaulted basement of St. Paul's Cathedral, burning all the precious books. Late Tuesday night, the fire began to weaken and was finally extinguished. <>

3. The dark clouds of the melancholy city loom over people

After the fires, 80% of London was left in ruins. The fire destroyed 87 churches, 44 guilds, and not only the post office, Guild Hall, and the Royal Exchange, but also the Customs House, the Jorge Prison, and numerous libraries and hospitals. Ninety per cent of London's homes have burned and some 10.2 million people have been left homeless.

Although only six people died in the fire, many others endured hunger, disease and other suffering from the fire. In addition to the financial losses, the biggest blow is psychological. In the context of the time, a year before the fire, the world-famous Great Plague broke out in Europe in 1665, and the fire was completely heart-wrenching.

The fire burned 80 per cent of London to rubble, 90 per cent of homes were burned and some 10.2 million people were left homeless. Although only six people died in the fire, most of them suffered starvation, disease and other hardships caused by the fire.

Many buildings in London were destroyed, but the source of the plague was cut off, and although the property damage was huge, only five people died, which was much less than the Black Death, so it can be seen that everything has advantages and disadvantages!

The economic losses are severe. Because the fire in London was very violent, the fire caused huge economic losses in London.

Today in history, September 5th.

One of the biggest fires of the 19th century was the Great Fire of London, which damaged the entire city. （）

a.That's right. b.Mistake.

Correct answer: B

Great Fire in London, England in 1666On September 2, 1666, one of the worst fires in London's history engulfed the entire city. As a result of the fires, 80 per cent of London was left in ruins, 90 per cent of London homes burned and some 10.2 million people homeless. Although only six people died in the fire, many others endured hunger, disease and other hardships brought by the fire.

But sometimes bad things can turn into good things, and while the fires have left a ruin, they have also given people hope to rebuild their cities. From 1667 onwards, the city was rebuilt with bricks and stones in strict accordance with the building decree. In the midst of all the chaos, a new, cleaner, safer, and more modern London slowly stands up.

More far-reachingly, the first fire insurance company was established in London, which not only ensured that families would not suffer huge financial losses due to fire, but also established a regular fire brigade ready to minimize the damage caused by fire. It seems that a fire not only burned down London, but also woke people up to the importance of preventing disasters, which is the only place to be thankful for.

The greatest fire of London, which occurred on 2 September 5, 1666, was the worst fire in the history of London, England, burning many buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral, but cutting off London's plague problem since 1665. 2016 marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London.