Audio available in app
Observed Great Fire London from "summary" of The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys
In 1666, London experienced one of its greatest tragedies - the Great Fire. This devastating event spread quickly and destroyed a large portion of the city, leaving thousands of people homeless and heartbroken. The impact of this fire was so great that its memory endured for centuries.- I ended up gazing out of my window on the 2nd day of September, 1666 and saw a great fire consuming homes in London - it was terrible!
- Even after experiencing such an incredible tragedy, people kept hope alive and started rebuilding their lives.
- Despite such utter desolation, what surprised me was the resilience among the survivors.
- Like a relentless monster, the raging inferno consumed entire streets and its heat could be felt from the distance.
- By the time the fire was brought under control, 3 days later, many historic monuments lay destroyed.
- Hundreds of people were left standing in tears watching their lives, possessions and dreams go up in smoke.
- Everywhere I looked, all around me, there was chaos with growing flames of destruction in every direction.
- My heart melted even further seeing minor miracles where parts of the city recovered faster than ever expected.
- As much as possible, I tried to combat the blaze, but it spread too quickly and resisted all attempts.
- The memory of this perilous event will linger forever, making us wiser and grateful for everything we have today.
