On New Year’s Eve 2019 a sky lantern burned down the Krefeld Zoo, in Krefeld, Germany.
The fire killed more than 30 animals including apes, monkeys, bats and birds, many of whom are close to extinction in the wild.
Sky lanterns (AKA Chinese lanterns) are small hot air balloons made of paper with a small flame providing lift.
I first became aware of the damage these balloons can cause when I was picking up trash along the Cedar Point Trail at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. I found a burnt sky lantern lying on vegetation along the trail. Fortunately, it had not started a fire.