Great Fire of London School Visits & Workshops

Firefighting before 1666

 

Despite the increased fire risk due to wooden structures and lack of health and safety, history shows little in the form of organised firefighting.

 

In ancient times (Rome, China, etc) the army would hold some responsibility to fight fires and keep watch over general public safety. It is known that a fire company was formed in Rome, which would attend a fire at the first calls for help but would negotiate the price with the homeowner for their services before getting to work! The Romans would create “vigiles” in 60AD, who were dedicated fire watchers with some form of policing powers and duties. They would have pumps and buckets to transport water onto the fire, as well as hooks and poles to pull down buildings to create fire breaks.

 

With the demise of the Roman Empire, the development of fire fighting stalled. There were no major new developments until the 17th century. Fire fighting was the consideration of individual communities with little input from major authorities of the royalty and nobility. This is despite major fires causing mass destruction, there were at least 4 in London prior to 1666.

 

The Great Fire of London

 

Debate is rife as to the accuracy of the facts about the Great Fire. We do know some things for certain though:

 

• The fire started at Tom Farynor’s bakery on Pudding Lane in the early hours of Sunday 2nd September 1666.

 

• The houses of London were predominantly made from wood, and after a long hot summer, they were the perfect kindling for a fire to spread. They were also built very close together and the small streets below were filled with rubbish and waste which further provided fuel for the fire.

• As the fire began to spread, residents were concerned with escaping and the safety of their belongings. Not fighting the fire. This allowed the fire to take hold of more and more buildings ensuring that it would outstrip efforts to fight it.

 

• The Lord Mayor of London was reluctant to pull down houses to make a ‘fire break’ as he would then have to foot the bill to rebuild them. It would take the orders of King Charles II on Monday/Tuesday to start the demolition of buildings to start. By Tuesday/Wednesday the use of gun powder had sped up the process. There are conflicting resources as to exact timings.

 

• A strong easterly wind assisted the spread of the fire on Sunday and Monday. It had calmed down and directed north by Tuesday.

 

• By Thursday morning, the majority of the fire was contained. However, it has been said that the ground was so hot it could not be walked on. Smoldering and smoke could still be seen in the weeks and months after the blaze.

 

• As the King became involved with the firefighting efforts, he had to request the assistance of soldiers. This was the first-time efforts were organised and the delay in instigating organised efforts is another contributor to the spread of the fire.

 

• Equipment included leather buckets, large fire hooks, ropes, gun powder, axes, and water squirts. Carts would be used to carry the equipment…if someone was generous enough to lend a cart. However, many rich people had hired carts to transport their goods. Manual fire pumps were inefficient and extremely rare. There is no solid evidence that one was certainly used, only circumstantial and historical guesswork. Hoses, as we know them, did not exist; wooden hoses made from hollowed tree trunks were also rare and inefficient.

 

• Police and ambulance services did not exist. Looters were rife and those that were injured would need to rely on friends and family to help get them to the field hospitals on the untouched south side of the river. If you were lucky you could bribe someone with a boat to ferry you across the river.

 

• Over 13,000 houses were burnt down. Over 80 churches (including St Paul's Cathedral) were destroyed and over 40 guild halls also perished.

 

• Over 100,00 people were made homeless and the damage to the city would cost over £1 Billion in today’s money to correct!

 

 

After the Fire

 

The after-effects of the fire can be seen today! Houses were rebuilt in brick and stone without thatched roofs, except the new Globe Theatre which has had a specially treated thatched roof installed. Houses are made today with certain materials and in certain ways in order to stop the horrors of 1666 from ever happening again.

 

Also, the fire service was a repercussion of the Great Fire. Fire Insurance Companies began to provide a service but at a deep cost. Once a homeowner had paid the company the fee, the company's insurance badge would be placed on the front of the house. Should a fire break out, all companies would attend with the corresponding company being the only one that would fight the fire…unless the homeowner had the capacity to bribe other companies with money or beer tokens to redeem at the pub after work! These fire insurance companies would eventually inspire the creation of all insurances today! Also, we did not have telephones, so people would need to run to the church and ring the bells in order to sound the alarm for a fire. This was not very efficient or reliable!

 

By the early 1700’s, churches were required to keep firefighting equipment at all times in good working order. Helmets were available but were again rare and rudimentary. Fire pumps began soon after with developments being slow and their creation rare. Real advances did not occur until the progress of the industrial revolution. Metal helmets, hoses, steam engines, and wider spread organisation were introduced. The Auxiliary Fire service would begin with World War Two and would develop into the National Fire service.

 

Today, county authorities organise the fire service but are accountable on a nationwide platform. They not only provide firefighting services, but community engagement, and fire safety training, assist in other disasters and also provide rescue relief from floods and other life-threatening situations. They no longer rescue cats from trees due to the dramatic demand and stress the service is under.