The Great Fire of London: A Bakery's Hot Mess

Did you know that one of history's most devastating infernos started with a simple case of a baker forgetting to turn off the oven? On September 2, 1666, the Great Fire of London broke out in the middle of the night at a bakery on Pudding Lane, owned by Thomas Farriner, the baker to King Charles II. What began as a small, smoldering mistake quickly spiraled into a city-wide catastrophe. Over the next three days, the fire raged uncontrollably, consuming more than 13,000 houses and leaving much of the medieval city in ashes. It is a classic, albeit tragic, reminder that even the most powerful monarchs in history were no match for a poorly managed kitchen!