how dangerous are chinese lanterns??

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moodymare123

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Thousands of chinese lanterns were set off last night in aid of a charity, which i respect but then i wonder why couldnt they of done something more respectful to the environment? it then got me thinking...which led to panacing!
I just had some horrible mental images of what could happen, so how dangerous can they be? I am now off to the yard to search there feilds from top to bottom looking for these damn things!!!
 
I've heard some pretty horrible things about them. After all they are just bits of thin wire waiting for animals to get caught up in. Even tho so called 'eco friendly' cane ones (i think it's cane, can't remember!) are just as bad, as they are just as thin and strong! Don't blame you for doing a hunt in your field!
 
They are illegal in a lot of countries but not here yet. My husband hates them, even the 'eco-friendly' ones have caused problems with our cattle eating them. As the poster above said it can kill them. Husband calls it legalised fly tipping!
 
Wildlife (my hedge has some balloons in it)? But hay stack...fire risk. Crops etc in summer

If you live in thatch property you are stuffed.

Fire fire fire. I just hope the organisers have good insurance if they cause death injury property damage due to this setting it off.
 
They're very dangerous to animals and a fire risk! We do wedding photography and quite a few venues have now banned them (one almost landed on a marquee the other day!), because I think a lot of farmers complain about them landing in their fields. Cows eat anything I think! They look pretty but are such a stupid idea which IMO should be banned outright. I dont think the people who choose to let them off realise how bad they are.
 
Last time that I heard about a large group of people who was going to set off Chinese lanterns in memory of a person who had died, due to something involving aircrafts and the safety thereof, they first needed permission from the nearest airport, which gave them a window of about an hour when they maybe could set off their lanterns, but only if the wind was blowing in the "right" direction = would blow the lanterns out over a large lake.

However, I'm not sure that I think that it is any better that they "disappears" down into water, after all, only because the problem is out of sight, doesn't mean that it doesn't cause any problem. Either way, even though I think that they're beautiful, I can't see them without thinking that they should be picked up and disposed of/recycled properly.

 
MagicMelon said:
They're very dangerous to animals and a fire risk! We do wedding photography and quite a few venues have now banned them (one almost landed on a marquee the other day!), because I think a lot of farmers complain about them landing in their fields. Cows eat anything I think! They look pretty but are such a stupid idea which IMO should be banned outright. I dont think the people who choose to let them off realise how bad they are.
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I am anti Chinese lanterns but my cousin had some at his wedding - one blew onto an awning at the back of the hotel and burnt it and they ended up paying £1000 in damage. It could land anywhere - haybarn, standing crop, someone's garage, thatched roof and cause a fire. I have never let my children release balloons for the same reason.
 
I was at a wedding, and by the time they got round to lighting the lanterns they were well drunk. People thought it hilarious when they got stuck in trees and skimmed rooftops, it was so windy that the lanterns were going sideways before they got height. I would like to see them banned.
 
I think they are an environmental hazard.

We lost a cow who had eaten the wire in the haylage.

A horse skinned its leg when it stepped on it and it wrapped around the foot, maybe horse spooked but it wasnt pretty.

I have written to my local MPs and petitioned against it to no avail...
 
Yes a friend of mine lost a very nice show pure Toggenburg goatling last year to one of these things,cost her a fortune at the vet and wasn't a nice death!
 
Very dangerous. Surely there are other ways to celebrate, and please don't suggest fireworks, they are horrendous :mad:

My horses broke through very strong fencing one night, as did some horses a few hundred yards down the road. I'm sure it was flippin Chinese Lanterns that spooked them all. It was something they'd never have done otherwise. They do cause fires, and landing in water, that can cause slow painful deaths to the fish etc, as do balloons. GGGGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
I think they should all be banned, failing that they should all have a serial number which is registered to the purchaser - if they cause a fire or animal injury/death then the purchaser should be liable for all costs. This way many people would think twice if they knew they could potentially face a huge bill for what is a few minutes of looking at something pretty (and they are!).
 
I am sure that in the H&H there was an article about a horse loosing weight and ailing badly having to be pTS and when opened up the wire from one of these lanterns was found.

Some people were staying and bought about 50 of the things to let off - needless to say they went home with them!
 
Funnily enough, the first thing I think of when someone says - Chinese lanterns is the plant Physalis alkekengi which has orange papery seed pods - they were very popular years ago, were dried and brought into the house at Christmas time - bit old fashioned now.

These bare flame flipping miniature hot air balloons are a nightmare and should be banned along with all similar things you're not allowed to do - just bl**dy commonsense should stop anyone letting them off but seeing as it doesn't - ban them. Or prosecute someone like that guys with the firework display down in the West Country.
 
I found 3 in one of my fields after New Years Eve but fortunately not the field my horses are in. I have a pony who plays with anything she finds so I'm glad she didn't get to the lantern remains before I did.
 
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