Luckily, no one was killed in this great fire caused by a spark from a candle, which happened to be near a gas leak.
“At about three o’clock on Sunday morning, great alarm and confusion prevailed amongst the inhabitants of Fleet-street, occasioned by one of the most destructive fires that have occurred for some years back. The watchmen of St. Bride’s passage, whose station is on the south side of the street near Bride’s parish, observed some smoke issuing from the premises of Mr. Bond, the linen-draper, No. 87. Some other watchmen came up, and set about alarming the inmates of that and the adjoining houses, whilst others hastened for the engines. On the door being forced open, a vast body of flames burst through the shutters,, and ascended with terrific fury. It was full 25 minutes before any turncock was to be found. During this delay, the devouring element gained such an alarming ascendency, that all attempts to rescue any of the stock in trade were found to be in vain. The house of Mr. Bond, in less than 20 minutes from the first alarm, presented one mass of fire, which, bursting through the roof, (the wind at the time blowing a heavy gale from the S.W.) spread in one huge sheet; and the houses of Mr. Hill, chymist, and Mr. Mattress, hairdresser, were included in the destructive scene; the flames spread over to the house of the notorious Carlile, at the corner of Bride-passage, the attics of which and the floor underneath were discovered to have caught fire. Either fire-engines by this time arrived; but notwithstanding the efforts of the firemen, the adjoining house to the left, Messrs. Pitman and Ashfield’s , oilmen, at about a quarter before four o’clock, was numbered in the conflagration, as was also Mr. Marriott’s, the furnishing ironmonger. The spectacle was snow awfully grand, the flames illuminating the horizon for a considerable extent, and spreading their devastation with incredible velocity. At half past four, Mr. Marriott’s extensive premises were entirely entirely in flames, which communicated to the houses of Mr. Smith, tailor, and Mr. Mercier, printer, which in a few seconds were on fire from top to bottom. It was now thought expedient by the firemen to turn their attention to the adjoining houses, and torrents of water were thrown upon them to check the farther extension of the fire. Fortunately a strong party-wall of the house of Mr. Phené, confectioner, saved his extensive premises; and the court on the other side had a similar effect, as regards Messrs. Davenport and Co’s china warehouse. A curious circumstance in the course of the confusion took place: some of Carlile’s family took refuge in St Bride’s church, and placed also there for security a quantity of his deistical publication – The Age of Reason was one of them. At five o’clock the entire fronts of the houses of Mr. Bond and Mr. Hill fell suddenly with a tremendous crack. At nine o’clock the fire was subdued. No lives were lost. The fire was said to have been occasioned by the incautious dropping of a spark from a candle in the closing of Mr. Bond’s shop, behind the counter, which (communicating with the gas, which it is thought was no properly turned off,) produced a destruction of property to the amount of nearly 100,000l.”
The Stamford Mercury, 19th November, 1824.