Explore these incidents Great Fire of London In 1666, a devastating fire swept through London, destroying 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, The Royal Exchange, Guildhall and St. Paul’s Cathedral. So how did it start? The Tooley Street fire The Tooley Street fire is often referred to as the greatest fire since the Great Fire of London. Butlers Wharf – the 'frozen fire' Firefighters, over the years, have had to be prepared to deliver their fire and rescue services in all kinds of weather conditions. One such fire in our history is the Butler's Wharf fire of 1931 – the 'frozen fire'. The Crystal Palace fire Learn about the fire that destroyed a famous London landmark. Smithfield Market fire Two brave men lost their lives at a tragic blaze at Union Cold Storage Co. at Smithfield Market – it lead to operational changes that keep firefighters safer today. Leinster Towers Hotel fire It was in the early hours of the morning of 6 June 1969 when the Brigade was called to a fire at the six-storey Leinster Towers Hotel, Leinster Gardens – 50 people were safely evacuated with 25 minutes. The Moorgate tube crash The Moorgate tube crash in 1975 tragically resulted in 43 people being killed and 74 being injured. The King's Cross fire On 18 November 1987, the worst fire in the history of the London Underground claimed the lives of 31 people, including a senior ranked firefighter, and seriously injured many more at King's Cross station. Purley train crash At 1339 on a rainy Saturday in 1989, a Littlehampton to Victoria express train crashed into the rear of a Horsham to Victoria bound train. The crash claimed the lives of five people and left 88 injured. Worsley Hotel Fire On Friday 13 December 1974, two separate fires were started deliberately at the Worsley Hotel in Clifton Gardens, Maida Vale. Tragically, Fireman Hamish Pettit, from Paddington's Red Watch, and six hotel residents lost their lives. Ladbroke Grove rail disaster Also known as the Paddington rail crash, it occurred when two passenger trains collided on 5 October 1999 killing 31 people and injuring hundreds. You may also be interested in... A brief history of our breathing apparatus The need for firefighters to enter a burning building to enable them to extinguish a fire has always been hindered by the smoke generated from the flames – so breathing apparatus is essential. Get museum updates Never miss an exhibition or event with the London Fire Brigade Museum updates newsletter. Sign up here... Firefighters of the Second World War From the formation of the Auxiliary Fire Service through the bravery of the Blitz, discover our history during WWII.
