New Year's Eve flying lanterns cause car fire and tree blaze in Gerrards Cross (From Bucks Free Press)
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New Year's Eve flying lanterns cause car fire and tree blaze in Gerrards Cross
11:09am Sunday 1st January 2012 in News By Neil Phillips
Flying lanterns (file picture).
CHINESE flying lanterns caused the car fire which marked Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue’s final emergency response of 2011 – and also the tree fire which marked the service’s first call-out of 2012.
Firefighters from Gerrards Cross were called to a car fire in Albion Road, Chalfont St Giles, just before midnight. A lantern landed on the road near the car and was blown underneath it by the wind, said the service this morning.
Forty minutes later the same crew was call to a fire in Howards Thicket, Gerrards Cross, where a lantern had become caught up in a tree.
Firefighters are again urging people to take extra care when using these lanterns to celebrate special events.
Flying lanterns – also known as sky lanterns and Chinese lanterns – are usually made of paper, wire and bamboo and contain a lit candle. They can rise to more than 1,000 feet, fly for up to 20 minutes and float for miles before landing.
Chris Bailey, head of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s community safety team, said: “You can’t control the direction they take or where they will land.
“There is no guarantee that the fuel source will be fully extinguished and cooled when the lantern lands, and that’s a real fire hazard.”
He said unsuitable locations for flying lanterns included areas near telephone and power lines, areas near standing crops, anywhere near buildings with thatched roofs, areas of dense woodland and areas of heath or bracken.
As well as being a potential fire hazard, the lanterns often contain wire which can kill or injure animals, damage farm machinery or end up in animal feed.
Last year the BFP reported on Lane End farmer Will Lacey’s call to ban the lanterns after three of his cows suffered agonising deaths when they digested metal wire from lanterns which landed on the farm.
The lanterns have also tied up a great deal of emergency service time over the years because they are sometimes mistaken for UFOs or distress flares.
Comments(30)
hm1
says...
12:46pm Sun 1 Jan 12
ting rather than banning perhaps?
gungun
says...
1:06pm Sun 1 Jan 12
hm1
says...
1:58pm Sun 1 Jan 12
Slacker
says...
2:45pm Sun 1 Jan 12
hm1 wrote:I don't think fireworks are as potentially dangerous as these lanterns. It takes a strong wind to blow a firework off course and they are lit for a matter of seconds. Lanterns are alight for some minutes, have seen some alight in the sky for up to 10 minutes and that is a long time for something which is a lot lighter than a firework and can go astray easier.
I don't like these either, but fireworks are equally, if not more dangerous and remain available....restric
ting rather than banning perhaps?
I am of course talking about when they are both used sensibly, both are equally as bad when used irresponsibly and a firework is more dangerous when used to deliberately cause harm.
I agree with restrictions though, on both items. I think fireworks should be sold only on applying for a licence from a local council. This would make it a lot harder for kids to get hold of them and use them to harm.
wayneo
says...
2:47pm Sun 1 Jan 12
Slacker wrote:Although generally not in favour of banning, with these I have to agree, the damage these due to animals, especially cows who chew on the remnants is horrendous.
I think these things should be banned. How long until somebody dies because of these?
hm1
says...
3:13pm Sun 1 Jan 12
I agree with the suggestion above of fireworks only being sold with a licence, and therefore they could probably only could be used in organised displays, and not sold to private buyers at all. It seems the dreadful motorway accident in November was due to an illplaced display. location should be able to be regulated if this restriction happened.
ivor
says...
3:22pm Sun 1 Jan 12
~
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “BLOGS” link at the top of the page.
gotanybiscuits?
says...
3:58pm Sun 1 Jan 12
What a responsible way to "celebrate".
~
Are these not similar to the weapons that the Japanese used to attack San Francisco?
~
No I haven't read Ivor's blog today!
bobby698
says...
7:25pm Sun 1 Jan 12
So I'm in favour of doing something with them; although it would be easy to ban them it would be simple to make homemade ones.
Can I stir things up? My experience of these has shown a certain class of persons are fond of using them, and I don't mean working class!! Gerrards Cross? Lane End?
Sorry to hear about the cattle farmer's experience too. Ban the Beggars!!
gotanybiscuits?
says...
8:47pm Sun 1 Jan 12
We can't ban Beggars.
They are Ivors friends.
His long-term philanthropy has resulted in the ongoing deterioration of his ancestral home.
It's his mission to mankind.
demoness the second
says...
8:53pm Sun 1 Jan 12
gotanybiscuits? wrote:But can they be choosers though?
Bobby,
We can't ban Beggars.
They are Ivors friends.
His long-term philanthropy has resulted in the ongoing deterioration of his ancestral home.
It's his mission to mankind.
stephanie1991
says...
10:14pm Sun 1 Jan 12
Gaulnut
says...
12:11pm Mon 2 Jan 12
Then chuck in some wire to make sure the job is done...
stephanie1991
says...
3:45pm Mon 2 Jan 12
gungun
says...
5:03pm Mon 2 Jan 12
stephanie1991 wrote:doesn't help the cows though
Maybe it would be safer if there was such a thing as a Chinese lantern that didn't rely on naked flames, maybe a battery operated infra red light?
stephanie1991
says...
5:09pm Mon 2 Jan 12
I Love Ivor
says...
6:23pm Mon 2 Jan 12
As with fireworks, it is not the product that is the issue, it are the idiots that don't use a bit of common sense that light them!
listerps2
says...
7:54am Tue 3 Jan 12
stephanie1991 wrote:That would be better except the naked flame is what makes it float.
Maybe it would be safer if there was such a thing as a Chinese lantern that didn't rely on naked flames, maybe a battery operated infra red light?
marlow678
says...
9:18am Tue 3 Jan 12
I Love Ivor wrote:100% agree with all of this! If you really want to ban something dangerous how about cigarettes, not only do they cause cancer but cause hundreds of house fires. While we are at it, why not ban cars, far too many people crash. Or we could just ban everything!
90% of Lanterns sold now do not contain wire and are made with a bamboo or other biodegradable frame. There is more wire in a farmers field already with fencing etc... that causes cows death than what these do. As with fireworks, it is not the product that is the issue, it are the idiots that don't use a bit of common sense that light them!
Malc London
says...
1:34pm Tue 3 Jan 12
I also agree with the posters above about fireworks. Organised displays only and while we're at it, make them noiseless so the animals aren't petrified.
u5r23
says...
3:09pm Tue 3 Jan 12
I Love Ivor wrote:Definitely! I kid you not, I was once out walking my dog when I witnessed someone driving along the road with the tube that you fire the fireworks from fixed to their wing mirror. i couldn't believe it when I saw them light one, place it in the tube (all whilst moving along the road) and then fire the rocket along the road in front of them!
90% of Lanterns sold now do not contain wire and are made with a bamboo or other biodegradable frame. There is more wire in a farmers field already with fencing etc... that causes cows death than what these do.
As with fireworks, it is not the product that is the issue, it are the idiots that don't use a bit of common sense that light them!
Scarletto
says...
5:57pm Tue 3 Jan 12
piran
says...
10:58am Wed 4 Jan 12
littlelaura
says...
11:14am Wed 4 Jan 12
gotanybiscuits? wrote:pahaha.. love the last sentence :)
Just the thing for a windy day, aren't they!!
What a responsible way to "celebrate".
~
Are these not similar to the weapons that the Japanese used to attack San Francisco?
~
No I haven't read Ivor's blog today!
Scarletto
says...
3:22pm Wed 4 Jan 12
These lanterns have caused loss of life, injury, damage to property,costly attendances by fire services, police and ambulances, hospital costs, legal costs, and hreat distress etc. Let "piran" speak to a fire victim.
marlow678
says...
5:00pm Wed 4 Jan 12
Scarletto wrote:The same can be said of Laptops, Cookers, TV's, Cars, Cigarettes, Candles, BBQ's, Fireworks, Bonfires, Patio Heaters, Christmas Fairy Lights and Christmas Trees do you want to ban all of those as well? GROW UP!!!!
A disgraceful reaction from "piran" who obviously has personal problems. These lanterns have caused loss of life, injury, damage to property,costly attendances by fire services, police and ambulances, hospital costs, legal costs, and hreat distress etc. Let "piran" speak to a fire victim.
I Love Ivor
says...
5:24pm Wed 4 Jan 12
Scarletto wrote:Everyone is entitled to an opinion. These lanterns are the latest thing that is being used as a scapegoat for others inadequacies. Lie i said further up, in responsible hand these as with fireworks are a lot less danger than people make them out to be. There are a lot more fires caused by other sources of ignition than these but lets all just jump on the bandwagon and say these are lethal, these do this, these do that.
A disgraceful reaction from "piran" who obviously has personal problems.
These lanterns have caused loss of life, injury, damage to property,costly attendances by fire services, police and ambulances, hospital costs, legal costs, and hreat distress etc. Let "piran" speak to a fire victim.
People need to do research themselves and not just listen to hearsay before they spout about how dangerous they are. Don't get me wrong, there may have been incidents with regard to these BUT it is usually to do with the irresponsible idiots letting them off, the same with fireworks. How many fires are caused by cigarettes, bbq's, bonfires etc... Shall we ban everything that can cause the slightest bit of danger???
ratty123
says...
8:19am Fri 6 Jan 12
ratty123
says...
8:20am Fri 6 Jan 12
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Slacker says...
12:14pm Sun 1 Jan 12