January 5, 1667 — The Day London Began to Rebuild
How a fire that erased a city forced London to rethink its blueprint for survival.
January 5, 1667 — The Day London Finally Said “Let’s Stop Using So Much Wood”
INTRO
The Great Fire of London in 1666 didn’t just burn down homes, churches, shops, and random medieval pubs that were one sneeze away from collapsing anyway.
It burned down 80% of the city.
By January 5, 1667, Parliament officially approved the rebuilding plan — a massive legislative reboot called the Rebuilding of London Act.
It was the moment London collectively decided:
“Let’s not build everything out of wood and hope for the best.”
PART I — LONDON BEFORE THE FIRE: A WOODEN JENGA TOWER
Pre-fire London was:
dense
wooden
chaotic
narrow streets
houses leaning inward like they were whispering secrets
rooflines touching like they were holding hands
Fire loved this arrangement.
It spread through London like it had paid for express shipping.
PART II — THE AFTERMATH: A CITY OF ASH
The fire destroyed:
13,000+ homes
87 churches
St. Paul’s Cathedral
most of the medieval core
countless businesses
centuries of infrastructure
But it also gave London something rare:
a blank slate.
The kind urban planners see once in a century… or once in a catastrophe.
PART III — JANUARY 5: THE REBUILDING ACT TAKES SHAPE
Parliament’s plan focused on:
✔ Widening streets
✔ Enforcing brick and stone construction
✔ Standardizing building methods
✔ Creating firebreaks
✔ Improving sanitation (finally)
✔ Mapping districts more logically
Basically London went from “medieval chaos simulator” to “proto-modern city.”
It wasn’t perfect — but it was the boldest urban redesign Europe had seen in centuries.
PART IV — THE CITY THAT ROSE FROM THE ASHES
Christopher Wren and other architects brought fresh ideas:
classical symmetry
stone churches
improved drainage
uniform facades
fire-resistant designs
In the long term, the Great Fire:
✔ reduced plague outbreaks (rats lost their wooden condos)
✔ made streets safer
✔ created a more navigable city
✔ cemented London as a global capital
It’s the rare moment in history where disaster didn’t just destroy — it rebooted.
CONCLUSION — A CITY REBORN
January 5, 1667 marks the moment London stopped being a medieval fire hazard and began becoming the metropolis we recognize today.
Sometimes history needs a reset button.
In London’s case, it came wrapped in flames.
🔥 CALL TO ACTION
Like history with brains and chaos? Subscribe to HistoryGoneBananas — where we rebuild the past one ridiculous detail at a time.
❓ FAQ
Q: What caused the Great Fire of London?
A bakery fire on Pudding Lane ignited wooden structures, spreading rapidly.
Q: How long did the fire burn?
Four days — September 2–6, 1666.
Q: Why did the rebuild take years?
Massive destruction, legal disputes, and the need for new urban planning.
Q: Who led the reconstruction?
Figures like Sir Christopher Wren and Parliament’s planning committees.