Journey Through Time 21. The Great Fire: London’s Burning (Ep 1)
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Jul 23, 2025 Discover the harrowing origins of the Great Fire of London, sparked by a bakery mishap in 1666. Dive into Samuel Pepys' diary as he recounts the chaos unfolding in a city gripped by superstition and past plagues. Explore how London's wooden structures made it exceptionally vulnerable to disaster. Unravel the community's response amidst leadership failures and opportunism in the face of catastrophe. This fiery tale not only reshaped a city but also marked the end of an era.
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London’s Flammable Structure Risk
- London was a tinderbox of timber buildings coated in pitch, a flammable waterproofing.
- Combined with an unusually hot, dry summer, this made a catastrophic fire almost inevitable.
Origin Story of The Great Fire
- Baker Thomas Fariner's bakery fire was the origin of the Great Fire.
- His maid, afraid of heights, was the first victim after refusing to escape through the roof.
Wind Fueled the Great Fire
- A fierce gale from the English Channel fanned the fire, transforming it into a raging inferno.
- This wind was the same that disrupted a naval battle between English and Dutch fleets that day.
