City Against Flame. Urban Firefighting Before Modern Services

Before professional fire services became common, a city facing flames relied on neighbors, guilds, watchmen, water carriers, officials, and improvised equipment. This history follows the development of urban firefighting from local obligation to organized public service. It explores how dense building, combustible materials, water access, insurance, and municipal rules shaped the response to disaster.
Rather than treating fire solely as spectacle, the book shows how repeated emergencies changed the design, governance, and social expectations of towns and cities.