The Great Fire of London broke out on September 2, 1666, in Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane. At the time, much of the city remained planned in a medieval style, still within the old Roman city walls.

As Los Angeles faces its latest fire crisis, it must look to the lessons of past urban fires that led to sweeping changes and a stronger, safer future

The fires have burned a total area around twice the size of Manhattan—or the equivalent of about 22,000 football fields.