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.
Sky lanterns are very dangerous and are banned in many countries, including Germany.
Although they are banned in at least 29 U.S. states including Florida, they can still be purchased through Walmart or Amazon.
One version of the sky lantern that can be purchased at Amazon is 7 feet tall and “includes giant wax fuel cell.” Imagine the damage that balloon could cause.
Even a small sky lantern can go high and far away. The web site https://www.theskylantern.com says a sky balloon can go to a height of over 1 mile and travel up to 5 miles. (other sources say they can go up to 5,000 feet)
Such devices have been used for military purposes. During WW2 Japan attempted to use “fire balloons” to set fires on the U.S. west coast. The only deaths by enemy action in America during WW2 were caused by these balloons.
One would be naive to think no one would ever use sky lanterns for terrorist purposes.
These balloons can be beautiful at night, but they are dangerous. I believe sales and use of sky lanterns should be banned throughout the U.S.