St. John's, Canada · 1892Great Fire of St. John'sDowntown and the cathedral gone in one evening, from a pipe. How did it beat every stone wall?On 8 July 1892 a dropped pipe in a stable started a fire that took the cathedral and the Water Street and Duckworth Street businesses.
Photo: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
Research
Burned and Rebuilt?
Ruins, then palaces: swipe between the two photos
The hypothesis
Fire as the reset button Strong
City after city loses its old centre to one big fire, usually blamed on something homely like a pipe, a glue pot or a cow, and within one to three years a grander stone and brick centre stands in its place, often on a brand-new street plan that was ready almost at once. Common sense says rebuilding a downtown in stone takes money, masons and quarries a city doesn't have the morning after a disaster. One possibility is that some of these fires cleared old fabric and old ownership, and the rebuild was planned or supplied from outside.
- Who owned the burned land before and after each fire?
- How were new grid plans (Turku, Lisbon, Thessaloniki) ready within months?
Hidden history
What the record shows
Again and again a city centre burns, and within a few years a grander, stone-faced city stands in its place. Drag the handle on each pair to compare what the photos show before and after.
Fast recoveries
Chicago's business district was largely rebuilt within about two years of the 1871 fire. San Francisco held a world's fair nine years after 1906. Researchers ask where the money, stone and skilled hands came from so quickly.
What burned, and what didn't
Ruin photos often show thick masonry walls still standing while everything around them is flat. The question worth asking is what kind of buildings these were before the fire.
Cleared ground
Each fire cleared central land that was then laid out again with wider streets, civic centres and new owners.
Questions worth asking
- Why do so many great fires land between about 1835 and 1906?
- How did cities that had just burned pay for buildings grander than the ones they lost?
- Were the ruins in these photos newer than the record says, or older?
Before and after
Drag the handle across each photo, or tap the years.
San Francisco City Hall
19061915Photo: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The domed City Hall was a shell after the April 1906 earthquake and fire. A new City Hall, on a new site in the Civic Center, opened in 1915, the year of the fair. More →
Chicago, Court House and Loop
1871c. 1900Photo: Clark, C. R. (Charles R.) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
The Court House seen through the ruins of the Fifth National Bank in October 1871, and State Street north from Madison about 1900. More →
Baltimore Street
19041906Photo: National Photo Company Collection · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Scan by NYPL · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
About 1,500 buildings burned on 7–8 February 1904. Two years later the waterfront streets were rebuilt.
Seattle, Front Street and Pioneer Square
1889c. 1891Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Boyd and Braas · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire of 6 June 1889 burned some 25 to 30 blocks. The new Pioneer Building stood by about 1891, and the streets were raised a storey. More →
The Paris Opéra
Salle Le PeletierPalais GarnierPhoto: Duclaux, maquettiste · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
A model of the old opera house on rue Le Peletier, which burned in October 1873, and the Palais Garnier, which opened in January 1875. More →
Paris, Hôtel de Ville
1871c. 1900Photo: Andrieu, Jean (Montaigu-de-Quercy, 17–07–1816 - vers 1872 — 1876), photographe · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
The city hall was burned in May 1871, in the last days of the Commune. It was rebuilt on the same spot, in the same style, and reopened in 1882; work went on to 1892. More →
Boston
1872c. 1880sPhoto: Smith, Joshua, copyright claimant · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Boston post office (erected circa 1870, demolished circa 1935). DigitalCommonwealth.org ([ca. 1873–1880]). Retrieved on December 21, 2024. · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire of 9–10 November 1872 burned about 65 acres of the business district. The new granite post office, still being built, stopped the fire on one side; it was finished and Post Office Square was laid out on the burned ground.
More examples 106
More city fires and quakes, with the rebuild on record.
106 of 106
St. John's, Canada · 1892Great Fire of St. John'sDowntown and the cathedral gone in one evening, from a pipe. How did it beat every stone wall?On 8 July 1892 a dropped pipe in a stable started a fire that took the cathedral and the Water Street and Duckworth Street businesses.
Saint John, Canada · 1877Great Fire of Saint JohnA third of the people homeless in a day. How did the city come back in brick so fast?On 20 June 1877 fire destroyed more than 1,600 structures, two-fifths of the city, and left about 13,000 people homeless.
Toronto, Canada · 1904Great Toronto FireA hundred downtown buildings, one death. What was in those buildings?On 19 April 1904 over 100 buildings in downtown Toronto burned; one person died.
Vancouver, Canada · 1886Great Vancouver FireA city named in April, burned in June, rebuilt within the year. Why so soon after the new name?On 13 June 1886 fire destroyed most of the city, just two months after it was incorporated.
Spokane · 1889Great Spokane FireThe land office and every bank in one night. What records went with them?On 4 August 1889 the post office, land office, all the banks and the main hotels and office blocks of Spokane Falls burned.
Ellensburg · 1889Ellensburg fireA town preparing to be the capital burns on the Fourth of July. Bad luck, or something more?On 4 July 1889 a fire destroyed much of downtown and stalled the city's bid to be Washington's capital; voters later chose Olympia.
Ålesund, Norway · 1904Ålesund fireA whole town rebuilt in matching Art Nouveau in three years. Who drew it all, and where did the stone come from?On 23 January 1904 nearly 850 houses burned, leaving about 230. Most of the town was rebuilt in Art Nouveau between 1904 and 1907.
Atlanta · 1917Great Atlanta FireFour fires in one hour across the city. Why so many at once?On 21 May 1917 fire burned 300 acres and 1,900 structures in nearly 10 hours, displacing over 10,000 people. Three other fires were reported within the same hour.
Hamburg, Germany · 1842Great Fire of HamburgA third of the old city gone in three days. What did the new city plan clear away?From 5 to 8 May 1842, about a third of the buildings in the Altstadt burned, including 1,700 homes and several public buildings.
Moscow, Russia · 1812Fire of MoscowThree-quarters of Moscow burned, then rebuilt in classical stone. What did the old city look like?In September 1812 fire destroyed about three-quarters of the city while Napoleon's army was inside. Only about 200 stone buildings and some 500 wooden houses were left.
Thessaloniki, Greece · 1917Great Thessaloniki FireThe old city burns, and a planner from abroad redraws it. Who decided what came back?Fire burned for 32 hours and destroyed 9,500 houses. Instead of quick rebuilding, French architect Ernest Hébrard drew a new city plan.
Lisbon, Portugal · 1755Lisbon earthquake and fireA grid city of matching blocks rises from the ruins. Who was ready with a plan that fast?The 1755 earthquake, tsunami and fires destroyed the lower town; the Marquis of Pombal rebuilt it as the grid of the Baixa Pombalina.
Bergen, Norway · 1916Bergen fireMedieval Bergen gone in one night. Why do these fires keep taking the oldest parts?On 15–16 January 1916 every building in the centre except those on City Hall Square burned, including buildings from the Middle Ages.
Chelsea, Massachusetts · 1908Great Chelsea FireSolid granite crumbling. What kind of fire does that?On 12 April 1908 fire burned 350 acres and left 15,000 homeless. Reports say buildings of solid granite crumbled in the heat.
Salem, Massachusetts · 1914Great Salem FireA historic old city loses 1,376 buildings in a day. What was lost from Salem's old record?On 25–26 June 1914 fire destroyed 1,376 buildings on 253 acres and left over 18,000 people homeless or jobless.
Portland, Maine · 1866Great Fire of PortlandAnother Fourth of July fire. Why do so many start on holidays?On 4 July 1866 about 1,800 buildings, including 1,200 homes and the city hall, burned; 10,000 people were left homeless.
Bangor, Maine · 1911Great Fire of BangorInsurers predicted it four years earlier. Then it happened just as mapped?On 30 April – 1 May 1911 downtown Bangor burned, including the post office, custom house, Norumbega Hall, the high school and the public library. Underwriters had mapped the risk in 1907.
Baltimore · 1904Great Baltimore FireFifteen hundred buildings, and a new downtown within two years. Who paid?On 7–8 February 1904 more than 1,500 buildings on about 140 acres were levelled and some 1,000 badly damaged.
Boston · 1872Great Boston FireRebuilt in two years. Where did the stonemasons come from?On 9–10 November 1872 fire burned about 65 acres and 776 buildings; in less than two years the financial district was rebuilt.
Pittsburgh · 1845Great Fire of PittsburghTwelve million dollars of damage in a city of 20,000. How was that much rebuilt so fast?On 10 April 1845 fire did about $12 million in damage by one author's estimate in a city of just over 20,000; the city was rebuilt shortly after.
New York City · 1845Great Fire of New York (1845)Lower Manhattan burned again only ten years after 1835. Coincidence?In 1845 fire destroyed 345 buildings in what is now the Financial District.
Kingston, Jamaica · 1907Kingston earthquake and fireA whole capital flattened. What did it look like before, and who rebuilt it?Eighty-five percent of buildings in Kingston were destroyed by the 1907 shaking, followed by fire in the business and warehouse districts.
Turku, Finland · 1827Great Fire of TurkuBurned in September, a new plan by the next December. Why are new grids always ready so quickly?On 4 September 1827 a great fire broke out in Turku. Carl Ludvig Engel drew the new grid plan, approved on 15 December 1828; the centre still follows it.
Copenhagen, Denmark · 1795Copenhagen FireNew rules, new stone city. Was the old city really all timber?After the 1795 fire, new stone buildings could be no taller than the width of the street.
London, England · 1666Great Fire of LondonThe template for every great fire story. Did later fires follow its script?From 2 to 5 September 1666 fire gutted the medieval City inside the Roman wall and destroyed Old St Paul's Cathedral.
Charleston · 1886Charleston earthquakeBrick failed and wood stood. What does that say about how the brick was built?The 1886 earthquake damaged 2,000 buildings and caused 60 deaths. 81% of the building damage was to brick buildings.
Chicago · 1871Great Chicago FireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Great Chicago Fire burned in Chicago, Illinois, United States, during October 8–10, 1871. The city government improved building codes to stop the rapid spread of future fires and rebuilt rapidly to those higher standards.
San Francisco · 19061906 San Francisco earthquakeBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?Within three days, over 30 fires, that were caused by ruptured gas mains, destroyed approximately 25,000 buildings on 490 city blocks. Though San Francisco rebuilt quickly, the disaster diverted trade, industry, and population growth south to Los Angeles, which during the 20th century became the largest and most important urban area in the West.
Jacksonville · 1901Great Fire of 1901Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?In eight hours, the fire burned 146 city blocks; destroyed over 2,367 buildings, including the Afro-American Insurance Association, the first insurance company in the state; and left almost 10,000 residents homeless.
Seattle · 1889Great Seattle FireA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The Great Seattle Fire was a fire that destroyed the entire central business district of Seattle, Washington, on June 6, 1889. Seattle quickly rebuilt using brick buildings that sat 20 feet (6.1 m) above the original street level.
Edinburgh, United Kingdom · 1824Great Fire of EdinburghBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?An estimated 400 homes were destroyed, with 400-500 families left homeless. At 10pm on Tuesday evening a secondary outbreak occurred in buildings on the corner of High Street and Parliament Close (renamed Parliament Square after the subsequent rebuilding of the affected area).
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom · 1854Great fire of Newcastle and GatesheadBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The great fire of Gateshead and Newcastle was a series of events starting on Friday 6 October 1854, in which a substantial amount of property in two North East England towns was destroyed in a series of fires and an explosion which killed 53 and injured hundreds. The older was a nine-arched stone bridge, built in 1771, the third to have been constructed on the site.
Northampton, United Kingdom · 1675Great Fire of NorthamptonThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Three quarters of the town was destroyed, 11 people died and about 700 families were made homeless. The majority of its buildings were made of timber, wattle and daub and thatch, densely packed along narrow medieval streets, though a number of houses and churches were built of stone.
Warwick, United Kingdom · 1694Great Fire of WarwickA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The fire started from a stray spark from the blacksmith located in High Street which blew into the thatch. Francis joined his brother in the reconstruction of St.
İzmir, Turkey · 1922Burning of SmyrnaA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The burning of Smyrna destroyed much of the port city of Smyrna (modern İzmir, Turkey) in September 1922. The core of the city had to be rebuilt.
Tokyo, Japan · 1657Great Fire of MeirekiBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The Great Fire of Meireki (明暦の大火, Meireki no taika), also known as the Great Furisode Fire, destroyed 60–70% of Edo (now Tokyo), then de facto capital city of Japan, on 2 March 1657, the third year of the Meireki Era. Commoners and samurai retainers alike were granted funds from the government for the rebuilding of their homes, and the restoration of the shōgun's castle was left to be completed last.
Tokyo, Japan · 1923Great Kantō EarthquakeA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Over half of Tokyo and nearly all of Yokohama were destroyed, leaving approximately 2.5 million people homeless. Navy personnel spent a week repairing 86 piers at Shibaura and Ryōgoku, while army forces cleared railway lines and rebuilt track.
Valparaíso, Chile · 19061906 Valparaíso earthquakeA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Much of Valparaíso was destroyed; there was severe damage in Central Chile from Illapel to Talca.
Montreal, Canada · 1852Great Fire of 1852The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?These fires destroyed over 350 different buildings in the span of two years. A witness to the rebuilding stage stated that the new buildings were of greater quality and that the lots that were not being built on were some of the best areas in the city.
Toronto, Canada · 1849Great Fire of Toronto (1849)Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The Great Fire of Toronto of 1849, April 7, 1849, also known as the Cathedral Fire, was the first major fire in the history of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Most businesses were rebuilt by the fall of 1849.
New Orleans · 1788Great New Orleans Fire (1788)A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?An additional 212 buildings were destroyed in a later citywide fire on December 8, 1794. Colonial officials were to replace the wooden buildings with masonry structures which had courtyards, thick brick walls, arcades, and wrought iron balconies.
New York City · 1835Great Fire of New YorkBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The fire covered 13 acres (53,000 m2) in 17 city blocks and destroyed between 530 and 700 buildings. A London magazine wrote, "Plans of rebuilding on an improved scale and modes of borrowing money for that purpose, on sound securities, are under arrangement.
Detroit · 1805Great Fire of 1805A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The fire destroyed the remaining vestiges of the old Fort Ponchartrain and a vast number of buildings in its vicinity. After the fire, territorial judge Augustus Woodward argued that the city was badly planned, and thus should not be rebuilt the same way.
Brisbane, Australia · 1864Great fire of BrisbaneA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?It consumed 50 houses, 2 banks, 3 hotels, 4 draperies, and many other businesses as well as a "considerable amount of small houses". At 8:30pm the fire slowed to a temporary lull due to some of the brick and stone buildings in the fires path, and another attempt was made to save the more valuable properties further up the street.
Rome, Italy · 64Great Fire of RomeThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?In the aftermath of the fire, nearly three quarters of Rome had been destroyed (10 out of 14 districts). He rebuilt much of the destroyed area and had the ostentatious building complex known as Domus Aurea (Golden House) built, his personal residence, replacing the Domus Transitoria and including an extension of about 2.5 km2, which came to include the Palatine, the slopes of the Esquiline (Opium) and part of the Celio.
Messina, Italy · 19081908 Messina earthquakeA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria were nearly destroyed and around 120,000 people died, making it the deadliest earthquake in the history of Europe. Most of the baroque buildings had been destroyed in the earthquake of 1783, and had been rebuilt in neo-classical style in the early nineteenth century.
Hakodate, Japan · 1934Great Fire of HakodateThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Great Fire of Hakodate (Japanese: 函館大火) is a fire that broke out in Hakodate, Hokkaido in Japan on 21 March 1934.
Moscow, Russia · 1812Fire of Moscow (1812)The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?During the French occupation of Moscow, a fire persisted from 14 to 18 September 1812 and destroyed the city.
Tiverton, United Kingdom · 1731Tiverton fire of 1731A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?In total 298 houses were destroyed in the fire which caused damage to the value of an estimated £58,976 14s. 9d. In response to the fire, a number of benefactors came forward to assist Tiverton in rebuilding.
Trondheim, Norway · 16811681 Trondhjem fireBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The 1681 Trondhjem fire started on 18 April 1681, in a building near Nidelva, an area of the city of Trondhjem, Søndre Trondhjems amt, Norway. After the fire incident, a new city plan of Trondhjem was developed by Johan Caspar von Cicignon, on the initiative of King Christian V.
Sundsvall, Sweden · 18881888 Sundsvall fireBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The 1888 Sundsvall fire (Swedish: Sundsvallsbranden 1888) was a fire in Sundsvall, Sweden on 25 June 1888. Strong winds to the northwest and the dry hot air made did that the wooden houses one by one soon was devoured by the flames. 9,000 people became homeless in just 9 hours.
Umeå, Sweden · 1888Umeå city fireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The unusual windy weather conditions also contributed to two other fires on the same day in Sweden. The Umeå Town Hall was rebuilt on the original site to a design by Fredrik Olaus Lindström.
Quebec City, Canada · 1866Great Fire of Quebec CityBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?Even more intense than the conflagrations of 1845, this conflagration burned in one day around 2,500 to 3,000 buildings of three faubourgs (Today Saint-Roch and Saint-Sauveur).
Gatineau, Canada · 19001900 Hull–Ottawa fireBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?Two thirds of Hull was destroyed, including 40 per cent of its residential buildings and most of its largest employers along the waterfront.
Bakersfield · 1889Great Bakersfield Fire of 1889The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?In total, 196 buildings were destroyed, one man killed, and 1,500 people rendered homeless. However, by that point, rebuilding efforts were well underway.
Savannah · 1820Great Savannah Fire of 1820The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Another fire in 1796 destroyed over 300 homes, about two-thirds of all those in the city. After the Great Fire of 1820, by the following year, City Market had been rebuilt.
Stockholm, Sweden · 1759Great Stockholm Fire of 1759Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The Great Stockholm Fire of 1759 was the city’s greatest fire since 1686. The church tower was rebuilt in 1825.
Halifax, Canada · 1917Halifax ExplosionA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?It destroyed or badly damaged every building within a 2.6-kilometre (1.6 mi) radius, over 12,000 in total. Large brick and stone factories near Pier 6, such as the Acadia Sugar Refinery, disappeared into unrecognizable heaps of rubble, killing most of their workers.
Coventry, United KingdomCoventry BlitzThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The high explosive bombs and the larger air-mines hindered the Coventry fire brigade and were intended to damage roofs, making it easier for the incendiary bombs to fall into buildings and ignite them. It was after this raid that the then-Mayor of Coventry, Alfred Robert Grindlay, led the early reconstruction of much of the city centre.
Peshtigo · 1871Peshtigo fireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The fire burned about 1.2 million acres (490,000 ha) and is the deadliest wildfire in recorded history, with the number of deaths estimated between 1,500 and 2,500. Out of 76 residents, only 19 survived, and Williamsonville was never rebuilt.
St. Louis · 1849St. Louis Fire of 1849A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?It then ignited a large copper shop three blocks away and burned out two more city blocks. As a result of these fires, a new building code required new structures to be built of stone or brick and an extensive new water and sewage system was started.
Columbia · 1865Capture of ColumbiaBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?While more homes were burned than businesses, the amount of homes burned represented a small portion of the city, while nearly every business in town was destroyed. Mayor Goodwyn, on Howard's advice, suggested that destitute residents flee to the countryside for sustenance as soon as possible, as it would be some time before the town could be rebuilt.
Stockholm, Sweden · 1625Great Stockholm Fire of 1625The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Great Stockholm Fire of 1625 was among the first known large scale fires in Stockholm prior to the city plan changes of the 17th-century.
Eastport · 1886Eastport Historic DistrictA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Set on a five-block stretch of Water Street, this area was almost completely redeveloped after a major fire in 1886, and many of its buildings are the work of a single architect, Henry Black. In the following year, the city rebuilt its downtown.
San Francisco · 1851San Francisco Fire of 1851A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Before it was checked by reaching the waterfront, it burned down some 2000 buildings altogether, amounting by some estimates to three-quarters of the city. As the wind increased to a gale, the fire became beyond control; the brick buildings on Montgomery crumbled before it; and before it was arrested over 1000 houses, many of which were filled with merchandise, were left in ashes.
Brussels, Belgium · 1695Bombardment of BrusselsThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Residences made out of wood with only the walls and chimneys made of stone had been largely consumed by the fires.
Kraków, Poland · 1850Kraków Fire of 1850The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?It is estimated to have destroyed about 10 percent of the city of Kraków, which was then part of the Austrian Empire 's district of the Grand Duchy.
Kyiv, Ukraine · 1811Great Fire of PodilA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The fire showed the vulnerability of the city's wooden buildings, some of which would later be reconstructed in stone.
Seoul, South Korea · 14261426 Hanyang firesThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The fires destroyed 114 rooms of a royal villa and approximately 2,400 houses.
Edinburgh, United Kingdom · 1544Burning of EdinburghThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Provost of Edinburgh was compelled to allow the English to sack Leith and Edinburgh, and the city was burnt on 7 May. Henry VIII had also asked him to destroy St Andrews, but Hertford pointed out the extra distance would be troublesome.
Moscow, Russia · 1547Fire of Moscow (1547)A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The great fire of Moscow in 1547 destroyed sections of Moscow that had been built almost entirely of wood.
Moscow, Russia · 1571Fire of Moscow (1571)The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Following the devastating incidents, the authorities in Moscow contemplated the construction of a stone barrier encompassing Bely Gorod, designed to render it impervious to the onslaught of the Tatar cavalry.
Skopje, North Macedonia · 1689Skopje fire of 1689The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The fire of Skopje started on 26 October 1689 and lasted for two days, burning much of the city; only some stone-built structures, such as the fortress and some churches and mosques, were relatively undamaged.
Boston · 1711Great Boston Fire of 1711Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The Great Boston Fire of 1711 burned the central district of Boston, then the capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, on October 2–3, 1711. The burnt area was quickly rebuilt.
Copenhagen, Denmark · 1728Copenhagen Fire of 1728A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?It destroyed approximately 28% of the city (measured by counting the number of destroyed lots from the cadastre) and left 20% of the population homeless. Although half-timbered houses were banned at first, the ban was lifted in 1731 as brick houses were considerably more expensive.
Boston · 1760Great Boston Fire of 1760A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The fire destroyed 349 buildings in the area between the modern Washington Street and Fort Hill, as well as several ships in port, and it left more than a thousand people homeless. As a result of the new regulations, the homes that were rebuilt in the area were made of brick or slate instead of wood.
Tartu, Estonia · 1775Great fire of TartuBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?Nearly 200 wooden buildings were destroyed and over 40 stone buildings. Tartu had lost most of its major stone buildings when they were blown up in September 1708 on the orders of Peter the Great during the Great Northern War.
New York City · 1776Great Fire of New York (1776)The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Great Fire of New York burned through the night of September 20, 1776, and into the morning of September 21, on the West Side of what then constituted New York City at the southern end of the island of Manhattan. Among the buildings destroyed was Trinity Church, the rebuilding of which became a symbol of resilience for New Yorkers; St.
New Orleans · 1794Great New Orleans Fire (1794)Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?Louis Cathedral was not destroyed and was dedicated just two weeks later, on December 23, 1794. Because New Orleans was at the time a colony of Spain, rebuilding after both fires continued in Spanish style, and consequently most French architecture was eliminated from the French Quarter.
WashingtonBurning of WashingtonThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Among the items destroyed was the 3,000-volume collection of the Library of Congress and the intricate decorations of the neoclassical columns, pediments, and sculptures designed by William Thornton in 1793 and Benjamin Latrobe in 1803. The flames grew so quickly that the British were prevented from collecting enough wood to burn the stone walls completely.
Tirschenreuth, Germany · 1814Great fire of TirschenreuthThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?A total of 907 buildings were destroyed by the fire, made up of 307 houses and 600 sheds or other outbuildings. Tirschenreuth was rebuilt, but the outcome differed significantly from what had been there before.
Miramichi, Canada · 18251825 Miramichi fireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?About 1/3 of the homes in Fredericton were destroyed, but the main devastation was 100 miles (160 km) to the northeast commencing from Bas Caraquet. The communities were soon rebuilt, but many of those affected moved to communities bordering the Bay of Chaleur, including Campbellton, Dalhousie, Belledune, and the southern Gaspé coast.
St. John's, Canada · 1846Great Fire of 1846The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The fire destroyed almost all of the buildings on Water and Duckworth Streets as well as Kings Road, about 2000 buildings in total.
Bucharest, Romania · 1847Great Fire of BucharestThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?It started on 23 March 1847 and destroyed 1850 buildings, a third of the city, including, according to Prince Gheorghe Bibescu, "the most populated and richest part of Bucharest". A fund was created for the rebuilding of the city.
Oslo, Norway · 18581858 Christiania fireBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The 1858 Christiania fire, starting on 14 April 1858, severely destroyed several city blocks near Stortorvet in Christiania, Norway. 41 buildings were destroyed, and about 1,000 people lost their homes.
San Francisco · 1863San Francisco Fire of 1863A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The San Francisco Fire of 1863 (October 23, 1863) was a significant fire incident in San Francisco, California, causing substantial damage and displacing numerous residents.
Augusta · 18651865 Augusta, Maine fireA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The 1865 Augusta, Maine fire occurred on September 17, 1865, in Augusta, Maine, United States.
Whitstable, United Kingdom · 1869Great Fire of Whitstable, 1869Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?On the evening of Wednesday, 10 November 1869, the fire swept through The Wall, west of the town's harbour.
Port Huron · 1871Port Huron Fire of 1871A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Much of the area burned by the Port Huron Fire of 1871 was swept by another deadly conflagration ten years later, under similar conditions.
Chicago · 1874Chicago Fire of 1874Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?Reports of the extent of the damage vary somewhat, but sources generally agree that the fire burned 47 acres (19 ha) just south of the Loop, destroyed 812 structures and killed 20 people. The section burned in the 1874 fire was south of the Chicago core that was rebuilt after the 1871 fire.
Reno · 1879Great Reno Fire of 1879Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The Great Reno Fire of 1879 was an urban conflagration that burned in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada on March 2, 1879.
Tokyo, Japan · 1881Great Ryōgoku FireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The fire destroyed 15,221 homes across over 100 acres, including much of the Edo period architecture.
Calgary, Canada · 1886Calgary Fire of 1886The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Calgary Fire of 1886, also known as the Great Calgary Fire of 1886, was a conflagration that burned in the Canadian city of Calgary on Sunday, November 7, 1886.
Dundee, United Kingdom · 19061906 Dundee fireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The fire, which burned for 12 hours, has been described as the most destructive fire in the history of Dundee.
Timmins, Canada · 1911Great Porcupine FireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Because of the importance of the gold discoveries, very few people abandoned the mining camps and, remarkably, the area was rebuilt in a short period of time.
Matheson, Canada · 1916Matheson FireA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?In all, the fires burned an area of approximately 2,000 square kilometres (490,000 acres). The village was rebuilt and renamed to Val Gagné, named after local priest Wilfrid Gagne, who died rescuing churchgoers from the fire.
Cork (city), Ireland · 1920Burning of CorkBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?In retaliation, the Auxiliaries, Black and Tans and British soldiers burned homes near the ambush site, before looting and burning numerous buildings in the centre of Cork, Ireland's third-biggest city.
Manisa, Turkey · 1922Fire of ManisaThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?More than 92% of all buildings in the centre of Manisa were destroyed - 13,638 out of 14,773 buildings. Some of the captured Greek soldiers were employed in the reconstruction, such as in the rebuilding of the destroyed Karaköy mosque.
Newcastle, Canada · 1922Great Fire of 1922The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Over two days, the fire consumed an area of 1,680 square kilometres (650 sq mi), affecting 18 townships in Ontario. It was later rebuilt and a plaque was placed to commemorate the fire.
Berkeley · 19231923 Berkeley, California, fireA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?The 1923 Berkeley, California, fire was a conflagration that consumed some 640 structures, including 584 houses in the densely built neighborhoods north of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley on September 17, 1923.
Fall River · 1928Great Fall River fire of 1928A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Within just a few years, many of the banks and commercial businesses were rebuilt, including the Granite Block, at the heart of the business district.
Changsha, China · 19381938 Changsha fireThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?Government institutions that were destroyed include the provincial government headquarters, buildings housing the bureaus of civil affairs, construction, police, army mobilizations, security, telegraph, telephone, post as well as the courts, Kuomintang branches, chamber of commerce, central news agency, central radio station and several newspaper offices.
London, United Kingdom · 1940Second Great Fire of LondonThe fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?The Luftwaffe raid caused fires over an area greater than that of the Great Fire of London in 1666, leading one American correspondent to say in a cable to his office that "The second Great Fire of London has begun".
Santander, Spain · 19411941 Santander fireA fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?Most of the medieval town was destroyed, the total were 37 of the oldest streets of the city that occupied 14 hectares, which meant the disappearance of 400 buildings, including homes (approximately 2000) and stores. To this end, a project was accepted that followed the guidelines of the Ensanche model, with an orthogonal grid composed of wide streets in the areas of greatest traffic confluence.
Cairo, Egypt · 1952Cairo fireBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?The fire spread to Shepheard's Hotel, the Automobile Club, Barclays Bank, as well as other shops, corporate offices, movie theaters, hotels and banks.
Hong Kong, China · 1953Shek Kip Mei fireBurned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?It destroyed the Shek Kip Mei shanty town of immigrants from mainland China who had fled to Hong Kong, leaving over 53,000 people homeless.More before and after 67
Drag across each photo to compare the burned city with what stood there after.
Ålesund fire
1904AfterPhoto: Ole Olsen Ranheimsæter · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A whole town rebuilt in matching Art Nouveau in three years. Who drew it all, and where did the stone come from?
Lisbon earthquake and fire
1755AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
A grid city of matching blocks rises from the ruins. Who was ready with a plan that fast?
Great Chicago Fire
1871AfterPhoto: Currier and Ives · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: File:Chicago River ferry.jpg: John Picken derivative work: Georgfotoart · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906AfterPhoto: Chadwick, H. D · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Craig Howell from San Carlos, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Fire of 1901
1901AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Seattle Fire
1889AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jeffery Hayes · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fire of Edinburgh
1824AfterPhoto: W Turner · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Andrew Colin · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead
1854AfterPhoto: Unknown artistUnknown artist · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: JimmyGuano · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Fire of Northampton
1675AfterPhoto: Own work · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Immanuel Giel · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Burning of Smyrna
1922AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Michael ksk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fire of Meireki
1657AfterPhoto: 田代幸春 · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Kantō Earthquake
1923AfterPhoto: urbzoo · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
1906 Valparaíso earthquake
1906AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Julia Sumangil · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fire of 1852
1852AfterPhoto: James Duncan · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Fire of Toronto (1849)
1849AfterPhoto: John Gillespie/Royal Ontario Museum · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dillan Payne · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great New Orleans Fire (1788)
1788AfterPhoto: See Wikimedia Commons file page · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: George Bannister · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fire of New York
1835AfterPhoto: Robinson (publisher 1836); drawn by Hoffy, printed and colored by J. T. Bow[er?] · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Fire of 1805
1805AfterPhoto: Dyfsunctional · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: TheWxResearcher · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great fire of Brisbane
1864AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Chris Olszewski · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fire of Rome
64AfterPhoto: Hubert Robert · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
1908 Messina earthquake
1908AfterPhoto: Underwood & Underwood · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alexander Hoernigk · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fire of Hakodate
1934AfterPhoto: 財団法人北海道社会事業協会 · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: J o Fg2 Misiase Hosomall monta (Flickr) Composition by Kyoww · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Fire of Moscow (1812)
1812AfterPhoto: A. Smirnov (Смирнов А.Ф.) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: U.S. Department of State · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Tiverton fire of 1731
1731AfterPhoto: See Wikimedia Commons file page · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Simon Cobb · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
1681 Trondhjem fire
1681AfterPhoto: See Wikimedia Commons file page · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Trondheim Havn from Trondheim, Norway · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
1888 Sundsvall fire
1888AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ö1thpe0807 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Umeå city fire
1888AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jonipoon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Fire of Quebec City
1866AfterPhoto: Jules-Isaïe Benoît · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Stockholm Fire of 1759
1759AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Steven Lek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Halifax Explosion
1917AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Coventry Blitz
BeforeAfterPhoto: William George Horton · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Peshtigo fire
1871AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: User:Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
St. Louis Fire of 1849
1849AfterPhoto: Thomas Martin Easterly · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sam valadi · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Capture of Columbia
1865AfterPhoto: William Waud (d. 1878) for Harper's Weekly. · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Akhenaton06 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Stockholm Fire of 1625
1625AfterPhoto: Heinrich Thomé · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Steven Lek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Eastport Historic District
1886AfterPhoto: Ken Gallager · GFDL · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ken Gallager · GFDL · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
San Francisco Fire of 1851
1851AfterPhoto: Hubert Howe Bancroft · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Craig Howell from San Carlos, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Bombardment of Brussels
1695AfterPhoto: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Francisco Conde Sánchez · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Kraków Fire of 1850
1850AfterPhoto: Teodor Baltazar Stachowicz · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Andrzej Otrębski · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Fire of Podil
1811AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Larmarphoto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Burning of Edinburgh
1544AfterPhoto: Wellcome Collection gallery (2018-03-29): https · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Andrew Colin · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Fire of Moscow (1547)
1547AfterPhoto: Anonymous Russian manuscript illuminators, 1560-1570s Facial Chronicle (Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible) (in 10 volumes: pdf… · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: U.S. Department of State · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Fire of Moscow (1571)
1571AfterPhoto: Anonymous Russian manuscript illuminators, 1560-1570s Facial Chronicle (Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible) (in 10 volumes: pdf… · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: U.S. Department of State · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Boston Fire of 1711
1711AfterPhoto: John Bonner · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ian Howard · GFDL · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Copenhagen Fire of 1728
1728AfterPhoto: See Wikimedia Commons file page · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Moahim · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Boston Fire of 1760
1760AfterPhoto: Royal female magazine · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ian Howard · GFDL · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great fire of Tartu
1775AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Boreaallane · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Great Fire of New York (1776)
1776AfterPhoto: Franz Xaver Habermann · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great New Orleans Fire (1794)
1794AfterPhoto: Anónimo, 1794 · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: George Bannister · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Burning of Washington
BeforeAfterPhoto: Cundee, J. (James), publisher · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ralf Roletschek ( talk ) - Infos über Fahrräder auf fahrradmonteur.de Wikis in der Ausbildung · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great fire of Tirschenreuth
1814AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
1825 Miramichi fire
1825AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Fire of Bucharest
1847AfterPhoto: Neoclassicism Enthusiast · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Madalin Pentelie · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Fire of Whitstable, 1869
1869AfterPhoto: Paste at English Wikipedia · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Neil Theasby · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Chicago Fire of 1874
1874AfterPhoto: Currier & Ives, from Harper's Weekly, August 8, 1874, pages 636 and 637; Image provided by Library of Congress · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: File:Chicago River ferry.jpg: John Picken derivative work: Georgfotoart · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Calgary Fire of 1886
1886AfterPhoto: Ross, Alexander J. · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: AceYYC · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
1906 Dundee fire
1906AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Great Porcupine Fire
1911AfterPhoto: Arthur Tomkinson · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
Matheson Fire
1916AfterPhoto: Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictions · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Burning of Cork
1920AfterPhoto: National Library of Ireland on The Commons · No restrictions · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Darius Whelan · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Fire of Manisa
1922AfterPhoto: Bymedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
1923 Berkeley, California, fire
1923AfterPhoto: dsearls · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Great Fall River fire of 1928
1928AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
1938 Changsha fire
1938AfterPhoto: See Wikimedia Commons file page · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Junchong · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The fire took the old town, and something grander went up within a few years. Who had the money, the masons and the stone ready that fast?
1941 Santander fire
1941AfterPhoto: Desmondrx · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Noreenlam · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
A fire wipes out the records and the old buildings in one go. Who decided what got rebuilt, and in what style?
Cairo fire
1952AfterPhoto: Al-Ahram Weekly Online · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wael El Sisi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Shek Kip Mei fire
1953AfterPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Designed by Tao Ho SVG code of 24 November 2005 version copied from Open Clip Art SVG code of 20 August 2011 version by Alkari SVG code… · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Burned, cleared and rebuilt bigger. What did the old town look like, and why are there so few pictures of it?
Where it happened 83 places
Open the globe ›Land: Natural Earth (public domain).
Related fairs
Related buildings
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
Patterns
The same story turns up in other threads.
Hypotheses20 patterns across all the threads
Clues Others Missed110 details in the photos
Mud FloodBuried first floors, raised streets and what lies under the cities
AsylumsKirkbride palaces and why admissions soared
Orphan TrainsAbout 200,000 children sent west, 1854–1929
Child Labor & RepopulationBreaker boys, mill girls and the 1850–1920 window
Same Story, Different CityFire, temporary, rebuilt: the same beats in city after city
Architects of RecordWho got the credit, how old they were, and how long it took
Does It Add Up?Buildings set against the towns, workforces and timelines the record gives them, scored from sourced facts only.
Catacombs & UndergroundCatacombs, ossuaries, underground cities and forgotten tunnels under the cities