Started in 1994 as an alternative to the overburdened networks of the time, DALnet has grown into a vibrant community and is widely regarded as the most "friendly" of the major IRC networks.
Fire has ceased development. Look at Adium instead: http://www.adium.im or #adium on this network || Fire 1.5.6 Released (Universal Binary) || Fire Website: http://fire.sf.net