Dublin Whiskey Fire

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The Dublin Whiskey fire took place on June 18, 1875 in the Liberties area of Dublin.[1] It lasted just one night but killed 13 people and caused damage worth €6 million in whiskey alone (adjusted for inflation).[2] People drank the 6 inch (150 mm) deep whiskey river which is said to have flowed down to the Coombe.[3] None of the fatalities suffered during the fire were due to smoke inhalation, burns, or any other form of direct contact with the fire itself; all were attributed to alcohol intoxication.
Origin[edit]
The fire is believed to have started at Laurence Malone's bonded warehouse on the corner of Ardee Street,[4] where 5,000 hogsheads (262,500 imperial gallons or 1,193,000 liters or 315,200 gallons US) of whiskey were stored worth £54,000 (equivalent to £5.45 million in 2019).[5] The exact cause of the fire is not known, but it is known to have started between 4:35 p.m., when the store was checked, and 8:30 p.m., when the alarm was raised. At 9:30 p.m., barrels inside the warehouse began to explode with heat, sending a stream of whiskey pouring through the doors and windows of the burning building.[6]
Spread[edit]
The whiskey stream first spread out over Cork Street, turning onto Ardee Street and grabbing a house on Chamber Street, then continued further to Mill Street where it quickly demolished a row of small houses .[7]
Human reaction
People living nearby were first alerted to the blaze by the cries of pigs coming from nearby cattle pens which had caught fire, and this is believed to have contributed to a surprisingly quick evacuation which was later hailed by members of the emergency services as well as the then Mayor of Dublin, Peter Paul McSwiney. He is quoted as saying:

"The time allowed to escape in some places during the progression of the fire was so short, I feared that some people would be left in danger in the attics and cellars of the neighborhood. But after investigation, I I was happy to learn that no lives were lost in the great conflagration."

During the evacuation, many people gathered near the streams of whiskey, filling any container within reach with the substance. "Caps, bowls and other containers" were all collected to mop up the hot liquid, resulting in 24 hospitalizations due to alcohol poisoning and 13 subsequent deaths.[8]
See also[edit] List of non-water related floodsReferences[

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The Dublin Whiskey fire took place on June 18, 1875 in the Liberties area of Dublin.[1] It lasted just one night but killed 13 people and caused damage worth €6 million in whiskey alone (adjusted for inflation).[2] People drank the 6 inch (150 mm) deep whiskey river which is said to have flowed down to the Coombe.[3] None of the fatalities suffered during the fire were due to smoke inhalation, burns, or any other form of direct contact with the fire itself; all were attributed to alcohol intoxication.

Origin[edit]

The fire is believed to have started at Laurence Malone's bonded warehouse on the corner of Ardee Street,[4] where 5,000 hogsheads (262,500 imperial gallons or 1,193,000 liters or 315,200 gallons US) of whiskey were stored worth £54,000 (equivalent to £5.45 million in 2019).[5] The exact cause of the fire is not known, but it is known to have started between 4:35 p.m., when the store was checked, and 8:30 p.m., when the alarm was raised. At 9:30 p.m., barrels inside the warehouse began to explode with heat, sending a stream of whiskey pouring through the doors and windows of the burning building.[6]

Spread[edit]

The whiskey stream first spread out over Cork Street, turning onto Ardee Street and grabbing a house on Chamber Street, then continued further to Mill Street where it quickly demolished a row of small houses .[7]

Human reaction

People living nearby were first alerted to the blaze by the cries of pigs coming from nearby cattle pens which had caught fire, and this is believed to have contributed to a surprisingly quick evacuation which was later hailed by members of the emergency services as well as the then Mayor of Dublin, Peter Paul McSwiney. He is quoted as saying:

"The time allowed to escape in some places during the progression of the fire was so short, I feared that some people would be left in danger in the attics and cellars of the neighborhood. But after investigation, I I was happy to learn that no lives were lost in the great conflagration."

During the evacuation, many people gathered near the streams of whiskey, filling any container within reach with the substance. "Caps, bowls and other containers" were all collected to mop up the hot liquid, resulting in 24 hospitalizations due to alcohol poisoning and 13 subsequent deaths.[8]

See also[edit] List of non-water related floodsReferences[