A sky lantern may land when the flame is still alight, making it a
fire hazard.
[5] In typical designs, as long as the lantern stays upright the paper will not get hot enough to ignite, but if the balloon is tilted (say, by the wind or by hitting some object), it may catch fire while still in the air. All the paper will usually burn in a few seconds, but the flame source may remain lit until it hits the ground.
After the balloon lands, the leftover thin wire frame will rust away very slowly, remaining a hazard to animals that may swallow it.
[6] In 2009 British company Sky Orbs Chinese Lanterns developed lanterns with a bio-degradable fireproof rope in place of metal wire.
[7] Many other European manufacturers adopted similar designs. In 2012 the same company released a patented design with fireproof base following reports of fires caused by lanterns.
[8]
Sky lanterns have also been alleged to pose a danger to aircraft.
[9]
On 1 July 2013 the '
largest fire ever' in the
West Midlands of England, involving 100,000 tonnes of recycling material and causing an estimated six million pounds worth of damage, was started by a sky lantern which landed at a plastics recycling plant in
Smethwick. Images of the lantern starting the fire were captured on CCTV.
[10][11] In response to the fire,
Poundland decided to stop selling sky lanterns and recalled their entire stock on 6 July 2013.
[12]
Legal status
Despite their use for centuries, there has been growing concern by some about the potential danger to cause crop or building fires and even harm animals that may eat their remains. Despite the general lack of prevalence some places have banned them for these reasons.
[13]
The city of
Sanya in
China banned sky lanterns due to their hazards toward aircraft and airspace navigation.
[14]
It is illegal to launch a sky lantern in most parts of
Germany; where use is not illegal, as in
Herford, it is necessary to obtain advance permission from local authorities. In
Austria, it is illegal to produce, sell, import, or distribute them.
[15] In Argentina, Chile, and Colombia it is illegal to launch lanterns, as well as in Spain and Vietnam. In Brazil launching lanterns is an environmental crime, punishable by up to 3 years in jail since 1998.
[9]
Retail sale (but not possession and use) of sky lanterns that "rely on an open flame to heat the air inside the lantern" was banned in Australia on 1 February 2011.
[16]
Sky Lanterns have also been banned in Kittitas County, Washington due to fire concerns on 20 June 2013
Facebook
Twitter