On May 10, 1785, a hot air balloon crashed in Tullamore,
Ireland, triggering what is considered by many to be the
world’s first aviation disaster.
Launched during a local fair, the unmanned balloon drifted
off course and ignited a fire that tore through the town,
destroying nearly 100 houses and businesses.
The blaze, later known as the Great Fire of Tullamore,
exposed the unexpected dangers of early ballooning
experiments.
A Dublin newspaper reported that the stunt had been
devised by two English gentlemen, who persuaded an
“English adventurer” to construct and launch a Montgolfier
hot air balloon “for the amusement of their friends.”
Likely made from paper and lifted by a basket of burning
straw, the balloon rose after its tethers were cut—only to
be caught in “smart winds” that carried it into a local
surgeon’s chimney.
There, it caught fire, scattering embers and flames across
town and setting buildings alight along Barrack Street.
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