Sky lantern warning after nature reserve fire in Dorset

A fire at Hartland Moor nature reserve near Wareham on Sunday (April 24) has sparked a reminder about the dangers of sky lanterns.

Fire crews were called to the nature reserve on Sunday evening where they extinguished the fire which affected a 40-metre area.

It is believed the fire started after a sky lantern landed on the gorse in the reserve.

Hazard

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service area manager, Craig Baker said using sky lanterns is basically throwing a naked flame in to the sky with no control over where it will land.

He said: "There is also no guarantee that the fuel source will be full extinguished and cooled when the lantern eventually descents, and that presents a real fire hazard."

Each year thousands of sky lanterns, otherwise known as ‘Chinese lanterns’ are released at various events and celebrations across the country.

Campaign

Their remnants are often found in farmers’ fields where the bamboo and metal components can be easily ingested by livestock or baled in hay and silage.

Farmers Guardian’s ’Say No to Sky Lanterns’ campaign, launched in 2013, calls for a country-wide ban on the sale and use of the deadly products.