Unmanned balloons launched in the hope of starting fires in enemy countries
This article is about incendiary balloon use in warfare in general. For the Japanese WWII weapon, see Fu-Go balloon bomb.
"Fire balloon" redirects here. For the small unmanned festive hot air balloon, see Sky lantern.
An incendiary balloon (or balloon bomb) is a balloon inflated with a lighter-than-air gas such as hot air, hydrogen, or helium, that has a bomb, incendiary device, or Molotov cocktail attached. The balloon is carried by the prevailing winds to the target area, where it falls or releases its payload.