THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, Oct. 4, 1666

• The great plague era
• London fire report

One of the greatest calamities and more notable events to strike London in its long history is the Great Fire which destroyed much of the city in September, 1666.  Finding period references to it are exceedingly difficult, as the number of newspapers publishing in 1666 was extremely small, this title certainly being the most significant.
Page 2 contains a brief report with a "Westminster" dateline of September 28, noting: "This day the House of Commons, reassuming the debate touching the City of London, resolved that the humble Thanks of the House should be given his Majesty for his great care and endeavor to prevent the burning of the City."
This issue is complete as a single sheet newspaper printed on both sides, and measures 6 7/8 by 10 3/4 inches. Various foxing, generally nice condition.
A rarity to find a period newspaper with any reference to the Great Fire of London--and great to have this report in the London Gazette.

Background: This single-sheet, two-sided edition of The London Gazette from October 4, 1666, represents an extraordinary primary-source rarity, as contemporary newspaper accounts of the Great Fire are exceedingly scarce due to the small number of active printers at the time and the widespread destruction of print shops across London just weeks prior. As the Crown's official journal of record—having transitioned from The Oxford Gazette earlier that year—this issue offers a direct window into the political fallout and immediate recovery efforts following the blaze that consumed over 13,000 homes and 87 churches. Most notably, page two contains a historic Westminster report from September 28 documenting the House of Commons officially resolving to extend its "humble Thanks" to King Charles II for his personal efforts to halt the fire's spread. This reference captures a critical moment of 17th-century public relations, highlighting how the monarchy actively promoted the hands-on leadership of Charles II and the Duke of York, who famously oversaw radical firefighting tactics like blowing up houses with gunpowder to form firebreaks.