Durham Station, Australia ? Steve Fossett safely landed his Spirit of Freedom balloon early today on a remote ranch in the Australian Outback, finally ending his record breaking flight around-the-world.

The American adventurer’s Spirit of Freedom balloon made a July Fourth touch down on Durham Station cattle ranch, about 870 miles northwest of Sydney. It bumped along the ground for 15 minutes before stopping.

Steve Fossett lands his balloon at Darhum Downs, Australia, after making his record-breaking solo around-the-world balloon flight. Before landing today, Fossett had to extinguish a fire when one of his burner hoses became disconnected.

At least three members of the crew were briefly dragged as they clung to ropes to help Fossett deflate the balloon. None appeared hurt.

Later, officials at mission control in St. Louis confirmed Fossett had landed safely and spoke with him via satellite phone.

Fossett said he had some problems deflating the balloon, but his ground crew helped him.

“The problem of not being able to deploy the deflation system meant I could be dragged forever,” Fossett said. He said he had braced himself inside the capsule ahead of the landing and was not injured.

“I don’t plan to make any more major balloon flights,” he said.

After being checked by a doctor, he flew to Sydney. He was expected to head back to the United States on Friday.

Just hours earlier, Fossett had to climb out of his capsule in the freezing Australian night to put out a fire caused by a loose burner hose.

The 58-year-old Chicago millionaire sailed into the record books Tuesday night as he crossed east of 117 degrees longitude to become the first person to fly solo around the world in a balloon.

But gusty winds in Australia meant he had to wait until early today to touch down.

Fossett said the fire started immediately after a hose fitting came loose. He was able to put out the fire by shutting off a ball valve joint, which is used to attach the hose to propane fuel tanks and the balloon’s burner.

The shock of hearing about the fire the first emergency of Fossett’s sixth attempt to circumnavigate the globe came with relief at mission control, since Fossett reported the fire in the same note in which he said it was out.

“When it happened, it was a big deal,” said Joe Ritchie, Fossett’s mission control director. “Even though the flight is over and you’re flying low, you can still get killed.”

British tycoon Richard Branson who also has tried and failed to do what Fossett did said that Fossett’s achievement was greater than that of Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic.

“Steve Fossett deserves his place in the record books alongside Lindberg. It has been an incredible feat,” said Branson in a statement.

Fossett’s balloon capsule is now headed for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. It will be displayed near Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis and John Glenn’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, the first craft to orbit the Earth.