This deep dive covers Why Did It Spread So Far? within The Great Fire of London for GCSE History. Revise The Great Fire of London in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 11 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 17 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🧠 Why Did It Spread So Far?
Building materials: Wooden houses, thatched roofs (despite regulations against), pitch and tar stored. Perfect fuel.
Building layout: Narrow streets, overhanging storeys (jetties), houses almost touching. Fire could jump gaps.
Weather: Hot, dry summer. Strong east wind blew flames westward through the city.
Slow response: Lord Mayor (Bludworth) dismissed early reports. Delayed ordering buildings demolished to create firebreaks.
Practice questions for The Great Fire of London
Where did the Great Fire of London begin on 2 September 1666?
Which of the following best explains why Lord Mayor Bludworth's response to the Great Fire made the situation worse?
Quick recall flashcards
Where did the Great Fire start?
Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane, in the early hours of Sunday 2 September 1666. An unextinguished oven overnight started the blaze that spread rapidly through dry wooden buildings.
How many houses were destroyed?
13,200 houses and 87 churches, including the medieval St Paul's Cathedral. The fire burned for four days, destroying about one-third of the City of London. Remarkably, only 6-8 deaths were officially recorded.