Timeline of the Fire
Sunday September 2, 1666
1 am: The fire starts at Thomas Farriners bakery on Pudding Lane; a maid there is one of the first victims
3 am: Samuel Pepys is told about the fire
4 am: The Lord Mayor, Thomas Bludworth, observes the fire but doesn't think much of it
7 am: By this time 300 houses have been destroyed
Fire spreads towards London Bridge
St. Magnuns' church is destroyed along with its waterhouse and waterpipe; this harms fire fighting efforts
8 am: People living in waterfront houses flee.
People start sending thier belongings north to keep them safe
9 am: News of the fire spreads.
People arm themselves due to rumors of a French or Dutch attack.
10 am: Samuel Pepys goes to Whitehall to tell King Charles II about the fire.
People begin to pull down houses for firebreaks.
11 am: Mobs start roaming the streets looking for people who may have started the fire.
12 pm: The fire starts to spread north.
Soldiers go on patrol looking for arsonists.
3 pm: King Charles II and James, Duke of York, come along the Thames in the royal barge to observe the
fire.
Monday 3 September, 1666
4 am: Pepys starts moving his belongings from his house to that of Sir William Rider in Bethnal Green.
5 am: The fire has reached the eastern end of Cannon Street.
The last London Gazette is published, alerting people about the outbreak of the fire.
8 am: King Charles spends half an hour near Queenhithe encouraging a squad of men who are pulling
down houses and removing flammable goods.
9 am: The Duke of York takes command of fire-fighting operations and has 'fire posts' set up, manned with 100 civilians and 30 foot soldiers, at Temple Bar, Clifford's Inn Gardens, Fetter Lane, Shoe Lane and Cow Lane.
People start to flee London, most going to Moorfields and Finsbury fields in the north and Tower Hill in the east.
10 am: Fire reaches Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street, the wealthiest places in London. Flames approach Cornhill and the Royal Exchange
2 pm: First militia arrive to help control the crowd, fight the fire, and prevent looting
Cornhill and Royal Exchange catch fire
3 pm: Lombard Street is completely destroyed.
Crowded streets lead to carts being banned.
9 pm: Baynards Castle catches fire.
Houses are pulled down to prevent the fire from reaching the Tower of London
Tuesday 4 September, 1666
5 am: The king gives the workmen 100 guineas as a reward and incentive.
6 am: Houses at Cripplegate are blown up with gunpowder instead of pulled down.
2 pm: The fire approaches the Guildhall. People begin too store the the thousands of records and documents in the crypt beneath it. The prisons Ludgate and Newgate catch fire. The prisoners of Newgate are moved to Southwark prison but many escape. A mob tries to murder the Portugese ambassador.
8 pm: St Paul's Cathedral catches fire.
Wednesday 5 September, 1666
2 am: Buildings along the Strand are blown up to prevent the fire spreading.
Thursday 6 September, 1666
8 am: The fire officially ends.
12 pm: The king adresses the public, declaring that the fire was an acident and not a foreign plot.
Tuesday 11 September, 1666
Christopher Wren submits his new layout for the city to the king.
Thursday 13 September, 1666
John Evelyn presents his plan to rebuild london to the king.
Tuesday 25 September, 1666
A Commons Committee is begins to investigate the cause of the fire.
Thursday 4 October, 1666
Robert Hooke, Peter Mills, Edward Jermyn, Christopher Wren, Hugh May and Sir Roger Prat are appointed to survey the burnt parts of the city.
Saturday 27 October, 1666
Robert Hubert hanged at Tyburn after confessing that he started the fire.
Tuesday 20 November - Wednesday 5 December, 1666
London's streets are cleared of debris.
1 am: The fire starts at Thomas Farriners bakery on Pudding Lane; a maid there is one of the first victims
3 am: Samuel Pepys is told about the fire
4 am: The Lord Mayor, Thomas Bludworth, observes the fire but doesn't think much of it
7 am: By this time 300 houses have been destroyed
Fire spreads towards London Bridge
St. Magnuns' church is destroyed along with its waterhouse and waterpipe; this harms fire fighting efforts
8 am: People living in waterfront houses flee.
People start sending thier belongings north to keep them safe
9 am: News of the fire spreads.
People arm themselves due to rumors of a French or Dutch attack.
10 am: Samuel Pepys goes to Whitehall to tell King Charles II about the fire.
People begin to pull down houses for firebreaks.
11 am: Mobs start roaming the streets looking for people who may have started the fire.
12 pm: The fire starts to spread north.
Soldiers go on patrol looking for arsonists.
3 pm: King Charles II and James, Duke of York, come along the Thames in the royal barge to observe the
fire.
Monday 3 September, 1666
4 am: Pepys starts moving his belongings from his house to that of Sir William Rider in Bethnal Green.
5 am: The fire has reached the eastern end of Cannon Street.
The last London Gazette is published, alerting people about the outbreak of the fire.
8 am: King Charles spends half an hour near Queenhithe encouraging a squad of men who are pulling
down houses and removing flammable goods.
9 am: The Duke of York takes command of fire-fighting operations and has 'fire posts' set up, manned with 100 civilians and 30 foot soldiers, at Temple Bar, Clifford's Inn Gardens, Fetter Lane, Shoe Lane and Cow Lane.
People start to flee London, most going to Moorfields and Finsbury fields in the north and Tower Hill in the east.
10 am: Fire reaches Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street, the wealthiest places in London. Flames approach Cornhill and the Royal Exchange
2 pm: First militia arrive to help control the crowd, fight the fire, and prevent looting
Cornhill and Royal Exchange catch fire
3 pm: Lombard Street is completely destroyed.
Crowded streets lead to carts being banned.
9 pm: Baynards Castle catches fire.
Houses are pulled down to prevent the fire from reaching the Tower of London
Tuesday 4 September, 1666
5 am: The king gives the workmen 100 guineas as a reward and incentive.
6 am: Houses at Cripplegate are blown up with gunpowder instead of pulled down.
2 pm: The fire approaches the Guildhall. People begin too store the the thousands of records and documents in the crypt beneath it. The prisons Ludgate and Newgate catch fire. The prisoners of Newgate are moved to Southwark prison but many escape. A mob tries to murder the Portugese ambassador.
8 pm: St Paul's Cathedral catches fire.
Wednesday 5 September, 1666
2 am: Buildings along the Strand are blown up to prevent the fire spreading.
Thursday 6 September, 1666
8 am: The fire officially ends.
12 pm: The king adresses the public, declaring that the fire was an acident and not a foreign plot.
Tuesday 11 September, 1666
Christopher Wren submits his new layout for the city to the king.
Thursday 13 September, 1666
John Evelyn presents his plan to rebuild london to the king.
Tuesday 25 September, 1666
A Commons Committee is begins to investigate the cause of the fire.
Thursday 4 October, 1666
Robert Hooke, Peter Mills, Edward Jermyn, Christopher Wren, Hugh May and Sir Roger Prat are appointed to survey the burnt parts of the city.
Saturday 27 October, 1666
Robert Hubert hanged at Tyburn after confessing that he started the fire.
Tuesday 20 November - Wednesday 5 December, 1666
London's streets are cleared of debris.