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You are here: Home / History / What caused the fire that destroyed the Hindenburg in 1937?

What caused the fire that destroyed the Hindenburg in 1937?

July 8, 2020 by Karen Hill

St. Elmo’s Fire, or, to a layperson: static electricity caused the fire that destroyed the Hindenburg in 1937.

In actuality, it was probably the highly combustible hydrogen used to fuel the air ship.

Why would the Nazis stupidly use hydrogen if it’s so flammable, you may be asking? Because times were tough and the U.S. had cornered the market on helium, charging exorbitant prices for it.

Most compromised safety to save a little dough; the Nazis were no exception.

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  • How did St. Elmo's fire get its name and Where does the term St. Elmo's fire come from?
  • Where does the term "St. Anthony's fire" come from and What does St. Anthony's fire mean?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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