From NYS Homeland Security and Emergency Service
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.
Link: Sky Lanterns
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Fire marshals want to ban sky lanterns
Published 1:22 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?”
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Sky Lanterns – Fire Danger Falling From the Sky
Posted: 18-Jul-2013
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.
For more information regarding Sky Lanterns, Sky Candles or Fire Balloons, visit http://osfm.fire.ca.gov or http://www.opb.org/news/article/not-a-bright-idea-sky-lanterns-illegal-dangerous/ or search Sky Lanterns are dangerous to see results.
Link: Sky Lanterns