Great Fire of London

The September 1666 blaze that destroyed over 13,000 houses and St Pauls Cathedral and launched fire insurance.

Overview

The fire burned for days, ruined most of the housing of a city of perhaps 80,000 people, and caused losses estimated near 10 million pounds, an enormous sum at the time, yet almost no insurance existed to pay it. Rebuilding relied on savings, charity, and loans. The disaster became the founding legend of the industry: Nicholas Barbon launched the Insurance Office for Houses in 1681, and fire brigades, fire marks, and mutual societies followed within decades. The fire also drove building codes, brick and stone replacing timber and wider streets. Recorded deaths were strikingly low, though poor residents were poorly counted, and as an insurance event it stands as the classic uninsured catastrophe that created an industry.