On May 10, 1785, a hot air balloon crashes 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.
