In St. John's The Great Fire of 1846 happened on 9 June 1846.
The fire started at the shop of a cabinetmaker named Hamlin, located on George Street off Queen Street when a glue pot boiled over.
The fire spread along Water and Duckworth Streets destroying all of the buildings in its path.
The fire was quickly spread by seal oil that was stored in the merchants' premises.
At the same time, there was an ongoing attempt to blow up a house on Water Street which scattered burning embers across the city.
Many buildings were connected to one another which allowed the fire to spread with ease.
The fire killed three people.