Essentially a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a candle is suspended, sky lanterns can float for miles before they fall to the ground.
Every year up to 200,000 sky lanterns are released in the UK. These “floating flames” are highly dangerous.
They can:
- Start wildfires
- Kill animals
- Destroy food growing in fields
- Set homes and buildings alight
The National Fire Chiefs Council has highlighted the issues with sky lanterns which you can read here.