History of firefighting Europe at the time, was the scene of several great fires in the 16th century. As a consequence, King Charles IX disbanded the residents' night watches and left the king's watches as the only one responsible for checking crimes and fires. London suffered great fires in 798, 982, 989, 1212 and above all in 1666 (the Great Fire of London). The Great Fire of 1666 started in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane, consumed about two square miles (5 km²) of the city, leaving tens of thousands homeless. Prior to this fire, London had no organized fire protection system. Afterwards,
Fire lane Fire lane In urban areas in the United States, a fire lane is a marked lane in a parking lot that is near a structure or, in New York City, a traffic lane marked "Fire Lane" that runs along the centre of a street. Parking is prohibited in fire lanes to ensure the access of safety equipment to the structure in the event of an emergency. Fire lanes are defined as passageways or access roads that allow fire apparatuses to pass through. They are not intended for normal vehicle traffic. There are certain requirements that must be met when designing