11 largest fires in history

Large fires are very scary and catastrophic events. Uncontrolled flame instantly spreads to neighboring cities, taking the lives of people and destroying everything in its path. People cannot fully control the fire. And stopping it is also very difficult, and sometimes not at all possible. The largest of them bring a lot of harm. And now we will consider 11 of the largest and most tragic fires around the world.

Tokyo Fire - 1923

A fierce and merciless fire in the city of Tokyo in the distant 1923, like the great fire of the city of San Francisco, was provoked by a strong earthquake. As a result, 142,000 innocent people died. Of these, approximately 38,000 people died from the fire. There were no large losses from the flame in history.

Fire in London - 1666

The fiery takeover of the city began with a fire at Thomas Farriner’s bakery. The bakery owner discovered a fire in his own house, which was attached to his private bakery. It happened after midnight on September 2, 1666. Then, to prevent the spread of flame to neighboring houses, firefighters had to completely destroy the buildings around it. But the authorities did not dare to take such a serious step. The very next day, the fire spread north, and proceeded through most of London. Local residents blamed the incident for foreigners who did not have a residence.

Roman fire - 64 AD

The great fire in Rome began at night from July 18 to 19 in 64 A.D. Due to windy weather, the flame quickly swept the whole city. The fire was stopped only after 6 days, leaving behind 70% of the city in continuous ruins. The reasons for such a terrible incident have not yet been established in connection with the lack of collection of the very first reports to this day. There are some assumptions in this regard: some blame the famous emperor Nero, some blame Christians for the secret purpose of destroying the entire city, and some are even inclined to the version of the accident.

New York - 1776

The largest fire in New York City occurred during the United States War of Independence. Historical sources indicate that in the summer the officers of the Revolutionary Army decided to completely burn New York instead of fighting the British military. Most officers rejected this idea, and they all left the city. But nevertheless, a week after the occupation of the city by the British troops, that fatal fire started, which destroyed about 493 houses.

Chicago - 1871

A massive fire broke out in 1871 in the barn room of O’Leary’s private owner. Official services believe that an ordinary cow contributed to the fire and accidentally knocked over a kerosene lamp with a hoof. But still, there seemed to be a dispute between the researchers, since it was assumed that indoor smoking was a true fire hazard. As a result of the terrible fire, 300 innocent people died. The fire spread slowly throughout the city, but still managed to leave 90,000 people homeless.

Copenhagen - 1728

This fire burned from the night of 20.10 until the morning of 23.10 in the city of Copenhagen, which is located in Denmark. At the end of the fire, flame destroyed 75% of the city. Such destruction made it one of the largest fires worldwide and the largest in the history of Denmark. A fifth of the population as a result of the disaster lost their property acquired over their entire lives. Apart from the loss of property, the cultural part of the city suffered serious damage and loss, starting with historical old documents and ending with medieval architecture.

San Francisco - 1906

A grand fire in the city occurred as a result of the earthquake in 1906. Scientists consider this earthquake to be one of the largest in American history.But the lack of professionalism and obvious difficulties in the fire department of the city became another reason that influenced the destruction of San Francisco. Firefighters did not have the necessary accessories due to poor funding. But surprisingly, the city was soon able to recover and return to its former appearance. After 10 years, almost no trace remained of the fire.

Amsterdam - 1421 and 1452

In the 15th century, the city of Amsterdam was seriously damaged not by one big fire, but by two at once. The first fiery catastrophe occurred in 1421, and another one followed in 1452. Flames instantly spread around the city, capturing house after house, which were built of wood. After a terrible fire, about 75% of Amsterdam was destroyed. As a result, the construction of wooden houses was banned. Only facades from this material were allowed in order to save the city from the repetition of tragic incidents.

Moscow - 1812

After the defeat of the Russian army in the Battle of Borodino in 1812, the great commander Napoleon went to conquer Moscow. To the surprise of the French leader, the city showed no resistance during the invasion. Soon Napoleon found out about small fires in the city. The very next day, the flame united into one great fire, which destroyed three quarters of Russia's capital and took about 12,000 human lives. The most popular and widespread theory is based on the fact that the flame was organized during the retreat from the city.

Boston - The Great Fire in 1872

The Boston fire cannot be compared to any fire on this list for the loss of human life and the destruction of buildings. It is also known as the most expensive fire in the history of America, as well as one of the largest in terms of property loss. The flame began from the very center of Boston, destroying financial districts, houses, shops, office buildings and other buildings. As a result of the disaster, 20 people died and hundreds were left without homes and workplaces.

Catastrophic Fire in California - 2018

November 18, 2018 a fire broke out in northern California. It covered over 566 km². The fire destroyed 11.8 thousand buildings, of which 9.7 are residential buildings. The speed of fire spread in some areas exceeded 130 kilometers per hour.