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Government or official record

Great Fire of London: Examine the Evidence

The National Archives

Cross-File evidence ledger

Where this source supports the record

Each entry separates the File’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.

  1. Fires · 2–6 September 1666

    The Great Fire of London

    Pudding Lane and the medieval City of London · United Kingdom

    Open File evidence →
    Why editors use it here

    Primary documents and contextual analysis of the fire and contemporary blame.

    1. Quick read

      A fire that began in a Pudding Lane bakery spread across the densely built City of London during dry, windy weather.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026
    2. Trigger and conditions

      The fire began around 1 a.m.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026
    3. Uncertainty

      The often-repeated official death total is not a reliable measure of all who died.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026
    4. Why it matters

      The fire shows how building materials, street form, governance, weather, and emergency decisions combine to create urban risk.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026