What is fire baloon?

A fire balloon, also known as a balloon bomb or Fu-Go, is a type of bomb that consists of a paper balloon filled with hydrogen gas and equipped with incendiary materials. The balloons were launched by the Japanese army during World War II with the intention of starting fires in North America and other parts of the world.

Over 9,000 fire balloons were launched, of which about 300 were discovered in North America. The balloons were carried by the jet stream winds and could travel up to 6,000 miles. They were primarily launched in 1944, but some were still being found months later.

Although the balloons caused minimal damage, they did manage to kill six people, five of whom were children in rural Oregon. The U.S. government kept the discovery of the balloons secret from the public in order to prevent panic and to avoid giving the Japanese any sense of success in their strategy.

Today, fire balloons are primarily used for recreational purposes such as hot air ballooning and lantern festivals.