What’s the condition behind the almost universal attraction for drivers to watch snow blow off their cars and trucks as they head out on winter roads? Is it something akin to a child’s fondness for splashing in mud puddles or sticking their tongues to frozen metal gate posts? Is it laziness or from being rushed? No matter what the reason, we’ve all seen vehicles on the road covered in snow with barely a porthole-sized section of unfrosted glass through which we see the driver huddled down, chin on the steering wheel, desperately trying to navigate his or her course, and sometimes, more than we’d care to admit, it’s us behind that wheel.
If you haven’t been given enough reasons to take the few minutes required to clear your vehicle of snow and ice before pulling out of your parking spot, here are a few you might not have considered.
It’s illegal
Police services have quite a few tools in their fine-books to address snow-covered and frosted-glass vehicles. They range from verbal or written warnings to major fines and even demerit points. And yes they’ll still make you clear your vehicle off before allowing you to proceed down the road. While police services don’t generally advertise snow-covered vehicle enforcement blitzes (as they do for impaired or aggressive driving), they are all on the lookout this season for offenders and if you can’t see their flashing lights through your snow-covered windows, at least you’ll hear the siren.
It’s dangerous
What other time of year would anyone ever considerate it safe to operate a vehicle on a public road when better than half of the windshield, door glass, or rear window is opaque? Ice- and snow-covered roads provide enough of a risk to safe driving, so why compound that risk by operating your auto without clear vision forward, to the sides or rear? Then there’s the danger to other drivers and pedestrians. Snow blowing off your vehicle reduces visibility for other drivers but it doesn’t end there. Ice can also form on vehicle surfaces and when the interior warms up; the bond between the ice and the roof panel weakens and with little warning large sheets of ice can be blown off the roof onto following vehicles. While we might think there’s little risk of these ice sheets causing any damage, many windshields are shattered every winter due to this carelessness. And of course if a driver swerves to avoid a large sheet of ice heading toward his or her car, there’s the risk of colliding with another vehicle.
It can be expensive
Every winter, drivers are faced with repair bills caused by not clearing snow and ice off their autos. When heavy snow and slush slides forward down the windshield during braking, it can mangle wiper blades, arms, and damage the linkage and motor. The same can happen to the rear wiper. Wiper systems can also be damaged when snow isn’t cleared away from the bottom of the windshield. A pile up here can prevent the wipers from completing their sweep-cycle leading to overheated motors, stripped arm fasteners and broken linkages. Then there’s the damage to roof racks and decorative trim. Another area to consider is the vehicle HVAC system. Most vehicles’ fresh-air intakes are located just below the front wipers. When loose snow isn’t cleared off before starting the vehicle and turning on the heater, this snow can be drawn into the system where it can waterlog a cabin air filter or cause problems with heater control doors and linkages.
It’s relatively easy to prevent all of this from happening by clearing off the vehicle before pulling out of your driveway. Get a good quality snowbrush. If you drive a taller SUV or minivan, consider purchasing a lightweight step-stool to make reaching the roof easier. Auto retailers who have to clear large numbers of vehicles use long handled foam brushes to avoid damage to trim and paint and these are now available with collapsible handles so they can be easily stored in the trunk. Avoid letting the working end of your snow brush to touch the ground. It can pick up grit or small stones which can easily scratch the paint or glass surfaces. Keep the brush bristles from getting iced up by drying the head out with the vehicle’s heater on the way to work (just place it on the floor, bristles up, under the dash in the path of the floor vents). Avoid using household brooms as their stiffer bristles can easily scratch paint.
Clear the snow away from the driver’s door area before opening it. This avoids sucking in a drift of snow onto the seat and flooring when you swing it open. This means the best place to keep your snowbrush overnight is just inside the door of your home.
Don’t beat on ice that has formed on the vehicle’s body to break it off. This will only lead to trim, body metal and paint damage. It’s much better to let the engine’s and the HVAC system’s heat do the work from the inside out. Washer nozzles are especially prone to snowbrush damage.
Don’t forget to clean off exterior lamps. Many vehicles now use LED lighting for exterior lights and these low-power bulbs don’t develop enough heat to melt snow or ice. It’s just as important to be seen as it is to see others around you, so take an extra minute to make sure your lights are clear.
A popular question this time of year is: How long should we let our vehicles idle in the driveway before heading out? Until every square inch of glass is clear enough to see through and every flake of snow has been brushed off.
This article was originally published on December 10, 2014.
The Office of Fire Prevention and Control has received numerous requests regarding the relationship of the Fire Code and sky lanterns, thus generating a need for clarification on the safety of these devices.
Sky lanterns are airborne paper lanterns, also known as Kongming Lanterns, “wish lanterns,” are sometimes also referred to as Chinese lanterns, sky candles or fire balloons. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. They are known to travel significant distance from the point of release which creates a serious fire and safety hazard because of the potential to start an unintended fire on or off the property from which they are released.
The Office of Fire Prevention and Control holds the opinion that sky lanterns meet the definition of Recreational Fires, as defined in Section 302.1 of the Fire Code and consequently, these devices require constant attendance as required in Section 307.5 of the Fire Code.
302.1 RECREATIONAL FIRE. An outdoor fire burning materials other than rubbish where the fuel being burned is not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit and has a total fuel area of 3 feet (914 mm) or less in diameter and 2 feet (610 mm) or less in height for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes.
307.5 “open burning, bonfires, recreational fires and use of portable outdoor fireplaces shall be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished…”
Therefore, unless anchored or tethered, OFPC is of the opinion that sky lanterns cannot be constantly attended and thus present a violation of the Fire Code of New York State.
Published 1:22 p.m. ET Nov. 4, 2013 | Updated 1:45 p.m. ET Nov. 4, 2013
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Thin paper sky lanterns, lit from inside by candles that send them floating aloft, have been popular for centuries at Asian festivals, but U.S. fire officials want them banned.
The National Association of State Fire Marshals calls them uncontrolled fire hazards, because the wind decides where to deposit the lanterns, said association president and New Hampshire Fire Marshal Bill Degnan.
Lanterns have ended up in trees and on tents at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which draws tens of thousands of fans to two NASCAR races each year, he said. A fire blamed on a sky lantern at a plastic recycling plant in Britain in July caused $9 million in damage.
“You have no control over where it lands,” he said.
A sky lantern is essentially a small hot air balloon made of paper with an opening at the bottom where a small fire is suspended. Invented in China, the lanterns were first used as signals during wars. They are launched at Asian festivals for good luck and to send wishes skyward.
They are popular at weddings and remembrance ceremonies.
Rob Laughton, part owner of an online retailer selling the lanterns, argues they should be regulated, not banned. He says his Dallas company, Wish Lanterns, has been responsive to the public and recently substituted bamboo for wire in the frame to make the lanterns biodegradable and no threat to animals who might try to eat them after they fall. The lanterns come with instructions on how to safely release them and customers are advised to use common sense, such as to not release them within 5 miles of an airport or in a wooded area, he said.
“The lantern can only come down once the wick has gone out,” he said. “The lantern will come back without any burning parts.”
But Degnan and other fire marshals around the country don’t believe their safety can be guaranteed.
In August, the U.S. fire marshals association adopted a resolution urging states to ban the sale and use of sky lanterns. At least two dozen states and many local jurisdictions have either banned them by law or by regulation, according to Degnan.
State Sen. Nancy Stiles filed a bill to add New Hampshire to the list of states with sales bans.
In December, Degnan used his authority to ban the lanterns’ release in New Hampshire under a code governing recreational fires, but he wants to block their sale as well. His order allows people to light the lanterns if they are tethered, but he fears the lanterns could break loose or that the requirement will be ignored.
Stiles, a Republican, filed her bill at the request of Rye Fire Chief Skip Sullivan. Sullivan said people have lit the lanterns at the beach thinking they would float out to sea only to have them blow inland. One landed in a selectman’s yard but burned out and did no damage, he said.
Sullivan said fire officials want a law “primarily for the fact that when you light these and send them off, it is an open fire you’re sending off.”
He added, “When these things come down, are these people going to clean up the mess they leave behind?”
Sky Lanterns are airborne paper lanterns that are typically constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame. The lanterns contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, causing the lantern to rise uncontrollably into the air.
The devices are becoming increasingly popular at weddings and other events, and are available for purchase via the internet. They have been portrayed in a couple of recent popular movies, such as “Hangover 2” and “Tangled”.
Sky lanterns are usually released several at a time and have been known to travel significant distances with minimal air current and have a fuel cell that can burn up to 4 or more minutes.
The sky lantern is free to float to wherever the air currents take it, floating as high as 3000 feet. Then it will decrease altitude and land on the ground, in trees or on structures. In the UK it has even landed on livestock and other animals, causing injuries. If a sky lantern is caught in a tree or lands on a roof and the fire spreads to whatever it gets caught in, this could turn into a tragic event.
In 2011, 800 acres were burned in Myrtle Beach, S.C. when a lit lantern landed on dry brush. Sky Lanterns are now banned in Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Tennessee and South Carolina. Even in Sanya, the City in China where the lanterns were first created, they are now banned as they have caused delays and safety concerns from flights at a nearby airport.
Two recent brush fires in Avila Beach, CA. linked to sky lanterns has prompted local officials to create an Ordinance banning such devices. The California Office of the State Fire Marshal has issued Informational Bulletin 12-005 that supports banning the devices and cites current pieces of regulation and statue to support the ban.
The International Fire Code (IFC) states that all “recreational fires” must be attended by a person at all times until they are completely extinguished. Since a sky lantern is allowed to float away as the air inside the lantern rises in temperature, the flame inside the sky lantern cannot be constantly attended by a person until it is extinguished.
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District prohibits the use of sky lanterns. Persons who use sky lanterns with a resulting fire may be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs in addition to property damage or medical costs from injuries resulting from the fire.
Similar to released balloons, sky lanterns all return to earth as litter. They are often marketed as “biodegradable” or “earth- friendly,” both untrue. Sky lanterns are made with treated paper, wires and/or a bamboo ring. They can travel for miles and always land as dangerous litter. Sky lanterns have caused huge structure fires and wildfires. This flaming aerial trash has caused serious burns to humans and killed animals who eat them or become entangled in their fallen remains.
Entire countries have banned the use of sky lanterns, including Argentine, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Spain, Germany and parts of Canada. In the USA, bans include Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Other states, including Kansas and Missouri and the New York Division of Fire Prevention and Control, are also looking into adopting changes to fire codes to regulate the use of sky lanterns.
The FAA has raised concerns over the use of floating lanterns as they can be sucked into aircraft engines.
Sky lantern starts wildfire in Colorado
Wildfire Today – March 14, 2106
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.
People cited for using fire balloon that may have started wildfire
Wildfire Today – July 15, 2015
A fire balloon is the suspected cause of a wildfire that started just before midnight Tuesday night on Y-Mountain near Provo, Utah. These dangerous devices that use a small flaming object to inflate and loft a plastic or paper balloon are also called sky lanterns and Chinese lanterns.
Sky lanterns ignite cell phone tower
Wildfire Today – May 8, 2015
“What could possibly go wrong when dozens of sky lanterns or fire balloons were released from the Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, North Carolina last weekend? The wind blew some of them into a cell phone tower, igniting it just out of range of the water cannon on the Union Road Volunteer Fire Department’s fire engine.”
‘Chinese Lanterns’ Report for Defra by WFU
The Women’s Food and Farming Union – 2011
“The results were staggering, all over the country farmers had discovered them in their fields; loss of livestock, horses, and cattle was reported as well as fires and machinery damage. Worries about the metal being cut into small needles and then incorporated into hay or silage were uppermost in many farmers’ thoughts and so the WFU undertook to provide enough evidence to obtain a total ban on their use throughout the UK.”
Fire marshals want to ban sky lanterns
USA Today – November 2013
“The U.S. fire marshals association adopted a resolution urging states to ban the sale and use of sky lanterns. …Sullivan said fire officials want a law “primarily for the fact that when you light these and send them off, it is an open fire you’re sending off.” He added, “When these things come down, are these people going to clean up the mess they leave behind?”
Colorado Springs Fire Department
Division of the Fire Marshal – May 2013
“These devices have been known to travel great distances from the point of release which poses a serious fire and safety hazard due to the potential of starting unintended fires in populated or unpopulated areas. … The uses of sky lanterns or related devices are a violation of the Colorado Springs Fire Code and thus are not permitted to be used
within Colorado Springs city limits.”
Smethwick Fire: Massive Blaze At Recycling Plant
Sky News – July 2013
“A blaze at a plastic recycling factory, described by firefighters as one of the biggest ever seen in the West Midlands, is believed to have been started by a single Chinese lantern.”
Fire sheds light on illegal Chinese lanterns
Post Bulletin – July 2013
“The fire damaged the rubber membrane of the roof, which was smoldering when firefighters arrived about 9:20 p.m., Mueller said. Department personnel recovered the lanterns from the roof; several others were found nearby, he said.”
Boy burned by Chinese lantern in Wrexham
Daily Post UK – November 2010
“…screamed in agony when scalding hot wax poured over his face at a Bonfire Night party…from a lantern set off into the night sky.”
Sky lantern destroys house in Berkhout Netherlands on New Year’s Eve
Noordhollands Dagblad – February 2015
“…on New Year’s Day we see hanging remnants of a wish balloon in the tree. My brother… saw half an hour before the fire alarm… some wish balloons from Berkhout float this way. …The burned-bell, which dates from 1870, was in excellent condition… a big loss for the Farm Foundation”
Thai authorities threaten sky lantern fans with death penalty
The Guardian – November 2014
“Some airlines have cancelled flights and others have changed their schedules during the festival. Bangkok has deployed 2,000 police on to the streets and set up checkpoints, with parts of the city banning the sale of fireworks and lanterns, according to the Bangkok Post.”
Plea to ban flying Chinese lanterns as cows are killed by them “Three Guernsey cows suffered agonizing deaths from eating wire from sky lanterns. The flying lanterns float into fields & get chopped up with crops for animal feed. It means the feed contains 2in strips of wire which cause internal bleeding in cows.”
Sky Lantern Dangers
Boy Scouts of America
“Upon review, the release of a sky lantern also has been determined to conflict with fundamental Scouting safety principles that relate to fire management, in particular the Firem’n Chit certification and Unit Fireguard Chart, both of which require fires to be attended at all times.”
Calls to ban ‘dangerous’ Chinese lanterns
Horse & Hound – July 2013
“A terrible fire in the West Midlands caused by a Chinese lantern has prompted further demands from the British Horse Society and County Land and Business Association for them to be banned.”
New York State Fire Prevention & Control
OFPC Safety Alert – May 2012
“The Office of Fire Prevention and Control holds the opinion that sky lanterns meet the definition of Recreational Fires, as defined in Section 302.1 of the Fire Code and consequently, these devices require constant attendance as required in Section 307.5 of the Fire Code.”
Sky Lanterns Illegal in Maine
Maine State Fire Marshal – 2015
“These lanterns are often used for weddings or memorials. However, they blow wherever the wind takes them and can cause fires if they land on something that is combustible. Maine law does not allow the use, sale or possession of sky lanterns in the state.”
N.H. bill would ban sale of sky lanterns as fire hazard
Associated Press – November 2013
“The National Association of State Fire Marshals calls them uncontrolled fire hazards, because the wind decides where to deposit the lanterns, said association president and New Hampshire Fire Marshal Bill Degnan.”
Sky Lanterns – Fire Danger Falling From the Sky
Moraga-Orinda Fire District, California – July 2013
“The Moraga-Orinda Fire District prohibits the use of sky lanterns. Persons who use sky lanterns with a resulting fire may be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs in addition to property damage or medical costs from injuries resulting from the fire.”
Flintshire councillors seek Chinese lantern ban
Daily Post UK – September 2011
“A grandfather is joining calls for Chinese lanterns to be banned after his grandson was almost burned alive by one. …She was quite far away and ran over just in time to pull the lantern off her son’s tent where it had landed while still aflame”
Farmer calls for ban on lanterns after cow dies in agony
Newmarket Journal – June 2013
“The metal frame became entangled around her lungs and slowly infected her internal organs. After developing gangrene, which left her in excruciating pain and threatened both her life and that of her premature, unborn calf, she hurriedly gave birth knowing that she was just days from death.”
Some people are led to believe sky lanterns are environmentally friendly. As you can see from this photo, that is not true. Dead owl found trapped in Chinese lantern.
Selah man started wildfire with luminaria
The Seattle Times – July 2013
“Selah police say a man started a 500-acre wildfire by launching a floating luminaria. The bag heated by a candle drifted into a hillside Friday and started a brush fire that took 100 firefighters to extinguish.”
Chinese sky lantern blamed for Trowbridge house fire
BBC News – July 2011
“I don’t want to feel like a spoilsport, but I don’t know how you can set them off safely given the potential they have to cause fires..”
Myrtle Beach fire caused by “Sky Lantern”
South Carolina Radio Network – July 2011
“The South Carolina Forestry Commission says a fire that burned more than 800 acres of Horry County land was caused by a special type of floating candle lantern. The July 3 fire is completely contained, but continues to burn along the coast in Horry County.”
Interpretation on Sky Lanterns
South Carolina State Fire Marshal Policy – February 2012
“There is a serious fire and safety hazard associated with sky lanterns, which includes the potential to start an unintended fire on or off the property from which they are released. The OSFM official interpretation bans the use of these devices in South Carolina, unless anchored or tethered.”
Farmer wins compensation after Red Nose Day balloon kills cow
The Telegraph – May 2011
“Farming and conservation groups are demanding a ban on mass releases of balloons and Chinese lanterns because of the deadly threat they pose to livestock and other wildlife…The fine wire inside it had punctured her esophagus. So she’d in effect spent a long, painful 48 hours suffocating on her own feed.”
‘Lanterns can be killers’ warning
Staffordshire Newsletter – March 2011
“The county council’s animal health team has received several calls about livestock eating the wire parts. This can cause a slow and painful death.”
Sky Lanterns Banned
Times of Malta – December 2009
“In a statement the authority said that the sky lanterns, also known as wish lanterns, were deemed unsafe and posed a serious risk to consumers.”
Farmer calls for ban after ‘killer’ Chinese lantern fells another cow
Mail Online – December 2009
“Farmers yesterday warned that they can be deadly for livestock after a prize cow died after eating the wire and paper remnants from one. They also claimed the lanterns – basically a candle inside a paper globe – pose a fire risk if they land in a field of crops or on a thatched roof.”
California State Fire Marshal Information Bulletin: Sky Lanterns
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection – June 2012
“There is a serious fire and safety hazard associated with sky lanterns, which includes the potential to start an unintended fire on or off the property from which they are released.”
Connecticut State Fire Marshal
February 2013
Connecticut prohibits the sales, possession and use of sky lanterns, defining them as fireworks.
STOW, MA–State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey is offering safety tips to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning (CO) as people struggle to recover from this storm. “This storm has left many without power. Keep a difficult situation from getting worse, stay safe as you try to cook and have light and heat as the temperatures dip tonight.” said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey.
Generators are a leading source of CO poisoning. It’s important to know how to use them safely:
Plug appliances directly into the generator or use heavy-duty, outdoor rated extension cords, not to exceed the number of outlets on the generator. Make sure cords are free of cuts and tears and have all three prongs – especially the grounding pin.
Keep the generator dry. Operate on a dry surface under an open canopy or tent.
Dry your hands before touching the generator.
Let the generator cool before refueling. Fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.
“If you’re using a barbecue grill to cook, do so outdoors, not inside the garage,” said Ostroskey, “Using a propane grill inside risks carbon monoxide poisoning and using any type of grill inside runs the risk of causing a fire.”
“It’s safer to use flashlights and battery-operated candles for light rather than traditional open flame ones,” said Ostroskey. He offered these candle safety tips:
Burn candles within a one-foot circle, free of anything that can burn.
Before you go out, blow it out; never leave candles burning unattended.
Always extinguish candles after use.
Use a non-combustible saucer or candleholder.
Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
Make Sure Smoke Alarms and CO Alarms are Working
“One of the simplest steps for safety you can take is to make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working. They will give you the earliest possible warning that something is wrong so you can escape safely,” said Fire Marshal Ostroskey. Hard-wired alarms will rely on the battery-backup during a power outage. If the power is out for an extended time, you may have to replace the back-up batteries.
Carbon monoxide is called the invisible killer because you cannot see it, taste it or smell it. Breathing CO makes people feel nauseous, dizzy, headache, and tired like having the flu. It poisons the body by removing oxygen in the blood stream, slowly suffocating victims. It makes it hard to think clearly and sleeping people will not wake up without an alarm. Heating appliances are the leading producers of carbon monoxide in the home and the risk increases when they are working harder.
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