THE GREAT FiRE OF LOS ANGELES (2025)

The Los Angeles fires are still going and will likely end with about 40,000 burned buildings. It is at 12000+ now and 66 square miles. In terms of numbers of buildings and are of city burned, the LA fires could be the largest in history.

Some of the largest citywide fires in history include:

1. **The Great Fire of London (1666)**:
   - **Location**: London, England
   - **Impact**: Destroyed around 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City of London within the old Roman city walls.
   - **Deaths**: Relatively few considering the scale, but the exact number is uncertain.

2. **The Great Chicago Fire (1871)**:
   - **Location**: Chicago, Illinois, USA
   - **Impact**: Burned from October 8 to October 10, destroying about 3.3 square miles of the city, including roughly 17,500 buildings.
   - **Deaths**: Officially, 300 died, though the real number could be higher.

3. **The Great Kanto Earthquake and Fire (1923)**:
   - **Location**: Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan
   - **Impact**: Following the earthquake, fires broke out which rapidly spread, devastating large areas of both cities. Approximately 45% of Tokyo's urban area was destroyed.
   - **Deaths**: Over 140,000 people died, many from the fires.

4. **The Firebombing of Tokyo (1945)**:
   - **Location**: Tokyo, Japan
   - **Impact**: During World War II, Operation Meetinghouse resulted in the destruction of 16 square miles of Tokyo, with over 267,000 buildings destroyed.
   - **Deaths**: Estimates range from 80,000 to over 100,000.

5. The San Francisco Fire following the 1906 Earthquake**:
   - **Location**: San Francisco, California, USA
   - **Impact**: After the earthquake, fires spread rapidly, burning for four days and destroying over 80% of the city.
   - **Deaths**: Around 3,000 people died, with many of these deaths caused by the fires.

These fires were significant not only for the physical destruction but also for their impact on urban planning, public safety, and historical consciousness. Each event led to changes in building codes, fire safety measures, and urban development strategies. Would you like me to search for more recent or specific information on this topic?