1861 Tooley Street fire

1861 Tooley Street fire

The Tooley Street fire of 1861
Date	22 June 1861 (1861-06-22)
Duration	Two weeks
Location	Tooley Street, London
Also known as	Great Fire of Tooley Street
Type	Fire
Cause	Spontaneous combustion
Deaths	2+
Property damage	£2 million

The 1861 Tooley Street fire, also called the Great Fire of Tooley Street, started in Cotton's Wharf on Tooley Street, London, England, on 22 June 1861. The fire lasted for two weeks, and caused £2 million worth of damage. During the fire, James Braidwood, superintendent of the London Fire Engine Establishment, was killed. House of Commons reports cited multiple failures in fire prevention, and the fire led to the 1865 Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act, which established the London Fire Brigade.