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Sky lanterns cause problems for landowner

Bill GabbertOctober 19, 2016October 19, 2016UncategorizedColorado, sky lantern1 Comment

Hundreds of sky lanterns released at an October 15 event 18 miles north of downtown Denver caused problems for at least one landowner five miles away from where they were launched.

A company that makes money by hosting “festivals” where they charge participants who release the small hot air balloons that are lofted by burning fuel at their base, organized an event at the Colorado National Speedway adjacent to Interstate 25.

Below is an excerpt from an article at KDVR:

…”We were watching it not really knowing what it was, but liking it. It was beautiful,” Lauren Gueswel said. She said the view was stunning, until close to 200 lanterns landed on her 40-acre farmland.

“I was extremely concerned and a little angry,” Gueswel said.

Gueswel and her husband chased after the debris while also trying to calm spooked animals.

“Terrified. They were absolutely terrified,” Gueswel said.

The lanterns blew nearly five miles to end up on her property. The couple was worried about dry patches of grass.

“Several of these were landing with embers still burning,” Gueswel said.

A spokesman for the event said the lanterns never hit the ground still hot. Several organizers from the event visited the farm to help pick up the leftover lanterns. They said cleanup is always protocol…

The company that organized the incident, Lantern Fest, had planned to continue releasing the fire-carrying devices on a second night, but it was cancelled due to strong winds. But, they are planning two other events in Colorado — November 5 in Colorado Springs and another one November 6 at the Colorado National Speedway north of Denver.

The company is also planning large-scale releases of the fire balloons near Phoenix, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Albuquerque, El Paso, Austin, Dallas, South Padre Island, Spokane, and Boise.

Colorado is one of the 21 states that still have not banned these dangerous devices.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Allen.

Sky lanterns possible cause of fires that burned 4 homes and a boat dock

Bill GabbertJuly 7, 2016August 25, 2019UncategorizedMichigan, New York, sky lantern

Sky lanterns are being looked at as the possible cause for at least two fires over the Fourth of July holiday, one in New York and another in Michigan.

Investigators are considering sky lanterns as a possible cause for a fire that spread to four homes in Highland Park, Michigan Tuesday morning.

And in Yates County, New York, Sheriff Ron Spike, thinks a sky lantern caused a fire that burned a portion of a boat dock on Keuka Lake July 4. Boaters on the lake notified residents who were able to suppress the fire by dumping lake water onto it.

Below is an excerpt from an article at the Chronicle Express:

…Investigation by deputies and the fire chief concluded that based on debris at the scene that a sky lantern someone had launched to celebrate July 4 had landed on the dock, causing the fire. Spike says the property owner is William Goulburn, of Rochester, and the damage is over $1,000…

Sky lanterns are made with plastic or lightweight paper and are lifted into the air when burning material is ignited at the base making it lighter than air. They can travel for more than a mile, whichever way the wind blows. Sometimes the fuel is still burning when the device contacts a structure, a tree, or lands on the ground. Usually they are not retrieved and become someone else’s trash.

The dangerous devices are banned in 29 states and many counties and cities.

Illegal sky lantern lands on fire chief’s roof

Bill GabbertJune 30, 2016UncategorizedMaine, sky lantern

A sky lantern recently landed on a fire chief’s roof in York Beach, Maine. For years Chief David Bridges has been trying to educate the public about the lantern law and the fire dangers they pose. He believes it is a common misconception that Maine legalized the lanterns after legalizing fireworks in 2012. However they are banned in Maine and in 28 other states.

Private companies make money by organizing sky lantern releases

Bill GabbertMay 28, 2016May 28, 2016Uncategorizedsky lantern

At least two private companies are in the business of charging admission to organized events where the participants can ignite and release sky lanterns.

The devices are banned in 29 states primarily because there have been many fires, both wildland and structure fires, ignited when the flame that heats the air in the paper enclosure can still be active when the lantern lands back on the ground. Or there can be a malfunction, such as the paper envelope catching fire, a gust of wind driving it to the ground, or it being hung up in a tree.

There is also the problem of litter. Every lantern released becomes someone else’s garbage. While one event organizer claims they retrieve 100 percent of the devices, it seems unlikely that if hundreds or thousands are lofted and then transported by the wind that all of them could be picked up. Some of the events allow releases over a period of severaL hours. The direction the wind is blowing is frequently not consistent for extended periods of time, which would lead to the lanterns being sprayed over a large area.

We discovered two companies that organize sky lantern releases. Rise, or RiseFestival, has two events listed on their website — October 7 and 8, 2016 at Mojave, Nevada. Their fees are $89 to $129 for adults, and $59 to $69 for children 3-10 years old. Nevada is one of the 21 states that have not yet banned sky lanterns.

The other company, LanternFest, has 19 events scheduled, with four of them planned in states where releasing them is illegal. We contacted LanternFest and were told by Kiara:

Our events are legal and fully permitted through the city, venue, and fire department at every event location! We are permitted much like a large firework show, and we work closely with your local Fire Marshal to ensure this event is safe.

The company’s next lantern release will be June 11, 2016 in El Dorado State Park in Kansas, approximately 25 miles northeast of Wichita. The devices are banned in some jurisdictions in the state, but not state-wide. Legislation banning them was introduced in 2014 but it died in committee.

Seth Turner, the manager of the park, said the company has a special event permit for the sky lantern release. He said in 2015 6,000 people attended a similar event. The company has stated they will retrieve the lanterns, but when asked how many they were able to pickup last year, Mr. Turner said, “I have no idea”. He said they travel for about a mile and a half through the air and they have not started any vegetation fires to his knowledge. We asked if he was concerned about the the threat of fires, and he said “That is something we monitor”. The park is about three miles long and an average of about 0.8 miles wide. The west end is a peninsula into a lake and is buffered by about a half mile of water. East of the park is private land.

We called the local Butler County sheriff’s office to ask if they had any concerns about the litter or a risk of wildfire near El Dorado State Park, but we were told the Sheriff and everyone in the office will be off until Tuesday May 31 for the holiday weekend.

In addition to the above events in Kansas and Nevada planned by the two companies, LanternFest is planning lantern releases later this year in Alaska, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.

London may ban sky lanterns

Bill GabbertMay 10, 2016May 27, 2016Uncategorizedsky lantern, United Kingdom1 Comment

We have written before about the dangers of sky lanterns, the paper or plastic balloons that are sent aloft powered by the hot air generated from a small flaming device. They have started many fires, both wildland and structural, and are banned in at least 29 U.S. states.

The city of London in the UK is considering banning the devices. Below is an excerpt from an article in The Londoner. We concentrate on the fire hazard, but don’t often mention that each sky lantern becomes someone else’s garbage.

…It still begs the questions, “What could possibly go wrong with releasing paper globes into the night sky, that you have zero control over, filled with fire, paper, hot wax and bamboo?”

Health Canada investigated and didn’t find a reason to regulate the lanterns three years ago. But since then, they have grown in popularity. When items like this grow in popularity, the poorer-quality knock-offs slip into the mainstream. And what used to be the odd event here or there has become the norm, sending thousands of these flaming lanterns into the sky.

There are several serious fires on record all over the world, including a fire started from a lantern that destroyed 800 acres in Horry County, South Carolina. The most recent wildfire is noted in Colorado this past March. Many countries have begun banning sky lanterns.

Let’s step past the whole argument for the potential to set a national park ablaze, sending up a sky lantern in memory of your faithful hamster Stewie for a moment. Let’s look at the other collateral damage. Garbage.

These lanterns just don’t disappear once they are out of view. Once they fall back to earth, they become garbage. And not biodegradable garbage either. Unless wire has become biodegradable recently…

Sky lantern starts wildfire in Colorado

Bill GabbertMarch 14, 2016June 30, 2016UncategorizedColorado, sky lantern3 Comments

Report says three sky lanterns were released — one started a fire.

There is a report that a sky lantern started a wildfire in Colorado on Saturday, March 12. A writer on Pinecam.com said that between 11:00 and 11:45 p.m. one of three of the devices that were released landed in vegetation and started a small brush fire. It occurred near Pine Grove, which is another name for Pine, Colorado. (map)

If this had happened in August rather than March, we might be writing a different story. The town is at 6,700 feet elevation, so there’s a good chance that the fuels are still somewhat wet or there could be snow. Nearby ridges are at 7,000 to 8,000 feet.

Sky lanterns were blamed for starting other fires just last month. One near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin burned 15 acres and another is thought to have ignited a four-plex structure in Santa Rosa, California.

Sky lanterns are banned statewide in 30 states, but not in Colorado.

These devices are small plastic or paper-covered hot air balloons powered by an open flame. They can travel uncontrolled for more than a mile, sometimes landing while the fire is still burning.

Articles on Wildfire Today tagged sky lantern.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Allen.

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