Chinese Lanterns being used as Wedding Lanterns

[Angienoremorse89]

I can't believe how many people think these are ufos

[eenkjet]

arson laterns

[james58390]

The Women's Food and Farming Union has submitted a report to an EU committee on product safety. Its president, Helen Bower, said: "We hope people see sense and they are banned.

[james58390]

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency says coastguards and lifeboats are sent out needlessly. In 2010 the agency recorded 1,500 flare incidents, of which 500 were believed to be false alarms caused by lanterns, while the CAA says they also pose danger to landing aircraft.

[james58390]

Crops are also at risk; last summer in Oxfordshire, a blaze from a lantern destroyed 2.5 hectares of barley. Litter is also a problem, said the NFU: "The people releasing lanterns wouldn't dream of dumping rubbish, but that's what is happening."

[james58390]

Civil Aviation Authority wants a ban on the sale of the sky lanterns, which are paper and wire hot air balloons fuelled by a naked flame. "People have no control where they land," said Nick von Westenholz, government affairs adviser for the NFU. Dorset and Somerset fire service said it had seen a sharp increase in lantern fires in the past year. Farmers say cows suffer stomach damage from eating the wire of fallen lanterns.

[acegregory]

Cool video! But aren't these things fire hazards? Could they land somewhere and start a fire?

Great music too! What's the name of the song and artist?

[wishlantern]

Well these are being let off in the UK where they don't really count as a fire hazard.

They only come back down once the fuel cell has gone out. But I wouldn't recommend using in them in very dry countries where forest fires take place!