Question 1

True or false: The fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane owned by Thomas Farriner.

Accepted Answer

True. Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane is the confirmed origin. A spark from his oven ignited the blaze on September 2, 1666.

Question 2

True or false: The Great Fire of London killed over 100,000 people, mostly from smoke inhalation.

Accepted Answer

False. Despite destroying 13,200 homes, the recorded death toll is only six. Modern estimates suggest a few hundred, not 100,000.

Question 3

True or false: The Great Fire of London was deliberately started by a French spy named Robert Hubert.

Accepted Answer

False. Robert Hubert, a French watchmaker, confessed and was hanged, but historians agree he was a scapegoat and could not have started the fire.

Question 4

True or false: Only six people are recorded to have died in the Great Fire of London.

Accepted Answer

True. Official records list just six confirmed deaths, but the true number is likely much higher, especially among the poor and undocumented.

Question 5

True or false: St. Paul's Cathedral was completely destroyed when its lead roof melted and poured down the streets.

Accepted Answer

True. The intense heat turned St. Paul's lead roof into molten metal, which flowed like lava. The cathedral was left a smoldering ruin.

Question 6

True or false: The fire was finally extinguished by a sudden, miraculous rainstorm after four days of burning.

Accepted Answer

False. No rainstorm ended the fire. It was stopped by firebreaks and changing winds. Rain fell later, but after the fire was already under control.

Question 7

True or false: The fire was stopped by using gunpowder to blow up buildings and create firebreaks.

Accepted Answer

True. King Charles II ordered buildings to be demolished with gunpowder. This controversial tactic finally stopped the fire from spreading further.

Question 8

True or false: The fire burned for five days because the mayor refused to destroy nearby buildings early on.

Accepted Answer

True. Lord Mayor Sir Thomas Bloodworth hesitated to authorize demolition, famously saying 'A woman could piss it out.' This delay doomed the city.

The Great Fire of London Trivia Questions