1861 Tooley Street fire

1861 Tooley Street fire
Burning buildings on the River Thames
The Tooley Street fire of 1861
Date22 June 1861 (1861-06-22)
DurationTwo weeks
LocationTooley Street, London
Also known asGreat Fire of Tooley Street
TypeFire
CauseSpontaneous combustion
Deaths2+
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.