In the early dawn of March 7 (January 30 in old lunar calendar which is a day called Shogatsu Misoka at the time), a fire broke out at an unoccupied house in Donguri no Zushi in Miyagawa Town on the eastern side of Kamo-gawa River (in the vicinity of modern-day Miyagawasuji, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City) and was carried south by strong winds to Gojo-dori Street while sparks also spread to Teramachi-dori Street on the opposite side of Kamo-gawa river and throughout central Kyoto.
1月30日（当時の感覚でいえば、「正月晦日」）の未明、賀茂川東側の宮川町団栗辻子（現在の京都市東山区宮川筋付近）の空家から出火、折からの強風に乗って南は五条通にまで達し、更に火の粉が鴨川対岸の寺町通に燃え移って洛中に飛び火した。