Town or city fires, as distinct from the minor blazes that were an everyday hazard in premodern towns, are defined as catastrophic fires that caused extensive destruction of the urban area. In the era of the “preindustrial urban fire pattern,” which continued to manifest itself until the late 19th century (e.g. the complete destruction of Sundsvall and Umea, Sweden, in 1888) [11], such fires were among the greatest threats to urban populations.