The Dublin whiskey fire took place on 18 June 1875 in the Liberties area of Dublin.[1] It lasted a single night but killed 13 people (from alcohol poisoning), and resulted in €6 million worth of damage in whiskey alone (adjusted for inflation).[2]People drank from the 6 inches (15 cm) deep river of whiskey that is said to have flowed as far as 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 of them were attributed to alcohol poisoning from drinking the undiluted whiskey running through the streets that had been stored in casks that exploded; this alcohol was much more potent than whiskey offered at retail in bottles.[4]
Fucking hilarious.