Because of the strong sunlight, small fires were difficult to detect until they have taken hold. This is why the fire spread from Gammelholm to the main magazine along Holmens Canal (Holmens Kanal Danish) and over Holmens Canal to the quarter around Saint Nicolai Church and from there, along Gammel Strand to the area around Nytorv/Gammeltorv.
The intense sunlight made it hard to detect small fires until they had gained strength. As a result, the fire spread from Gammelholm to the main magazine via Holmens Canal (Holmens Kanal Danish), and then along the canal to the Saint Nicolai Church quarter, before moving on to the Nytorv/Gammeltorv area.