Fire chiefs warn against sky lanterns during Clap for Carers event tonight
Fire chiefs have warned people against letting off sky lanterns during the Clap for Carers event tonight.
Lanterns carrying the NHS logo or Union Jack flag are being reportedly sold online. The items have been plugged as a good way to show support for the NHS.
But Black Country fire bosses have spoken strongly against this - highlighting how a huge factory fire in Smethwick in 2013 was allegedly started by a lantern.
At the time, the fire was the biggest in the history of West Midlands Fire Service.
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The Clap for Carers event has become a regular calendar fixture since the Covid-19 outbreak began. People clap outside their doors at 8pm every Thursday.
Dudley's fire commander, Steve Vincent, from West Midlands Fire Service, said: "The huge fire at a recycling site in Smethwick in 2013, believed to have been caused by a sky lantern, serves as a stark reminder of the devastation they can cause.
"They use the heat of a naked flame to float. They’re not only a fire hazard but also a danger to livestock and agriculture.
"Whilst ignition and launch are mostly in the control of the user, the actual flight path and end destination are not. There’s no guarantee the fuel cell will be completely out and cooled when the lantern lands, so any contact with a flammable surface could start a fire.
"It is important that we all limit any potential for emergencies during the pandemic. Please do not use sky lanterns, but continue to show your support for the NHS and other key workers by simply, yet so powerfully, clapping for our carers."
It comes after Dudley Council bosses banned the sale of sky lanterns in Dudley last year.
Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for health, and board member West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "I fully appreciate people want to the show their support for the ongoing fantastic work of our frontline NHS and social care workers against coronavirus.
"But setting off sky lanterns is not the way to do it.
"They have been proven to be dangerous and the cause of huge fires – letting them off could place extra strain on our emergency services at a time when they are already under huge pressures as it is.
"As a council we voted to ban their sale and release on our land for good reason last year, and I would urge residents to find safer ways to express their thanks tomorrow night and moving forwards.
"Sky lanterns should not be set off at any time – they are potentially lethal."
