Page 41 - Social Science.docx

The Great fire of 1666
accidentally caught on fire, the whole street of houses would go up in flames- which would be demonstrated in the Great Fire. The close proximity of the buildings was a major factor that contributed to the immense spreading. In addition to this, at the time of the fire, London had no construction rules or structural guidelines. The lack of building restrictions meant that the structure of most houses was completely unfit for living in, as the structures were often frail, unbalanced, and generally poorly designed. The people of London were extremely unaware of the dangers that lay right under their noses- their houses were constructed of thatched roofs and wood, with a thick layer of flammable tar laid on top, yet it was commonplace to light open fires in one’s living room. Now that historians have researched and gathered more information on how London was before the fire, they have concluded that the lack of building regulations, along with the extreme proximities of the houses, served as the main causes for the widespread nature of the fire. Furthermore, these same problematic factors facilitated the future Building Act.22
Immediately after the fire was contained, the English government knew that something had to be done- London was in a state of total devastation, with thousands of homes lost. So, in 1667, one year after the fire broke out, they passed a strict set of guidelines called the Building Act of 1667. The result: every construction operation was required to follow its rules, and each construction plan had to be overlooked and approved had been drawn up. The act revolutionized London in its rebuilding and ensured that each building followed a safety protocol, preventing thepossibilityofanotherGreatFire. ThefirststeptowardsrevolutionizingLondonwastoensure
2 N. A., "The Rebuilding Acts," Institute Of Historic Building. Conservation. Last modified September 15, 2019.
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