Chinese Lanterns

[Booldawg]

Didnt realise how dangerous they were. Was at a wedding on Saturday and they let some off. They seem to go up about 40 feet, catch fire, come back down to earth and set fire to whatever they land on.

Luckily it was a fairly healthy tree with lots of green foliage! Even then the firelight took a good 5 minutes to burn out.

Surprising they are still legal!

[jackthehat]

They are causing 'false' Coastguard launchings around here. They strongly resemble flares, when seen over the sea apparently.

[secretagentman]

Very dangerous indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuAG5OrgcXo

cl

[Count-A-Strong]

Funny you should bring this up but I too am concerned that these things are becoming more and more popular and with the current dry(ish) weather grass and crops are very vulnerable. They look beautiful but are potential 'fire bombs'.

[RATTER15]

But they are so pretty and peacful, I love to see them :-)

[maclarencat]

I first saw these on the beach in thailand a couple of years ago and they used them instead of fireworks on New Years eve. In the right place they are lovely in the wrong place they could prove to be lethal. I saw the report about false alarms for coastguards but I am a bit dubious about it. Living at the coast they dont look like the flares look to me. Still I do think people should be very careful. I also think fireworks are very dangerous too and it seems that is what the lanterns are replacing so which is worst?

[secretagentman]

They are indeed a heavenly and beautiful sight when done correctly and in the right setting like this one which I assume is on the beach and over the sea. Like a hybrid of little U.f.o's and Jellyfish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cz5qCugX4s&feature=related

cl

[Booldawg]

These all must be top quality ones. It was like the Hindenburg over Southampton!

[merciasounds]

They are dangerous and should be banned. the outer wire casing is very sharp, we (Our farm in Devon) lost a sheep to one of these things the wire got into her stomach. They are also a danger to crops, thatched rooves and in dry weather like this woodland can go up like a tinder box.

[cazzz1975]

I had one land in my garden last week, they are just flying rubbish

[Ankou]

we had fun letting one off (a lantern that is) in a forest clearing a couple of months back, kids loved watching it go. it went up and up peacefully and calmly, slowly disappearing in the direction of the petrol refinery nearby.

i'm sure it was fine. nothing on the news.

[cazzz1975]

as fun as it seems its still littering..

[snags]

''I first saw these on the beach in thailand a couple of years ago and they used them instead of fireworks on New Years eve.''

Me too... a dozen of the big ones slowly drifting up over the sea...

[Barmaid]

They are beautiful in the right conditions. I went to a firework display at Belvoir Castle last year and there were loads of them. They looked beautiful. The ground was pretty wet and there appeared to be no standing crops or hazards in the vicinity (Belvoir Park is huge). However, they do worry me in anything other than an organised display. As a farmer's daughter I've lost count of the times dad has lost crops to stupid people acting thoughtlessly (normally bonfires or discarded cigarettes) causing acres of standing crops to go up in smoke.

[jno]

you want to stick to those Middle Eastern weddings where they all fire rifles into the air. I presume there's some theory locally that gravity does not affect bullets if they're fired at a wedding.