Why did many Romans blame Nero for the Great Fire of Rome?

Many Romans blamed Emperor Nero for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE because they believed he intentionally started the blaze to clear space for his own aesthetic and architectural ambitions. Specifically, the populace suspected he wanted to indulge his desire to reconstruct the city in a Greek style and build his massive, opulent palace, the Golden House.1

Although Nero was at his villa in Antium, 35 miles away, when the fire began—meaning he could not have personally started it—his reputation at the time was already extremely low due to his perceived irresponsibility and scandalous behavior. To deflect the public's anger and shift responsibility away from himself, Nero famously blamed the Christians, leading to their persecution.1