History of London Fires

"Another great city that experienced such a need for organized fire control was London, which suffered great fires in 798, 982 and 989. Little is known about the development of firefighting in Europe until after the Great Fire of London in 1666. It started in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane, consumed about two square miles (5 km²) of the city, leaving tens of thousands homeless. A lot like the fire that started near the Circus Maximuson on 19 July AD 64. Prior to this fire, London had no organized fire protection system. Afterwards, insurance companies formed private fire brigades to protect their clients’ property. Insurance brigades would only fight fires at buildings the company insured. Pliny never mentioned insurance companies in his letter...maybe that is a modern thing. These buildings were identified by a badge or sign. Still, it was not until 1672 that the Dutch inventor Jan Van der Heiden invented the firehose. Constructed of flexible leather and coupled every 50 feet (15 m) with brass fittings, the length and connections remain the standard to this day"