Consider the mystery of the bright orange lights floating over Merritt on March 31 solved by the Merritt Fire Rescue Department.
As it turns out, they were flying lanterns.
These lanterns are essentially little hot air balloons made of paper and powered by flames from candles or fuel-soaked wax paper.
They catch in the wind and drift until their flames burn out. However, in this case, the lanterns kept burning once they hit the ground — at a local lumber yard.
An employee spotted them coming down at Aspen Planers’ site two on Houston Street and was able to extinguish the flames.
The lanterns are popular in several parts of the world, where people let them fly in large quantities as part of celebrations and festivals. In this case, the release appeared to be a memorial.
But where they landed has prompted the city’s fire department to warn Merrittonians of the fire hazard these sky lanterns really are.
Fire prevention officer Sky McKeown said the sight of the lanterns probably causes people to forget that they’re sending an open flame up in the air, which can’t be controlled once it takes off.
Sky lanterns are simply prohibited under the City of Merritt’s fire and safety regulations, McKeown said.
“It was probably quite beautiful at the time, but it definitely could’ve had some ‘un-beautiful’ consequences,” McKeown said.
About six to eight of the lanterns drifted over the city and eventually came down to the ground at the lumber yard. Although they’re supposed to extinguish before they come down, in this case, the lanterns kept burning once on the ground.
“When it landed, it actually started to burn the rice paper that it’s built from,” McKeown said of one of the lanterns. “Luckily, it didn’t cause major damage and it was caught soon enough.”
McKeown said the lanterns pose a different risk than fireworks because fireworks aren’t nearly as likely to drift as these lanterns.
“Different from fireworks, these things can be several kilometres away from where they’re lit when they go up into the breeze,” McKeown said. “In this case, that’s what happened.”
The lanterns have been banned in other parts of Canada including P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, and in parts of Spain, Germany, Brazil and Austria.
McKeown said besides a fire risk, the lanterns pose risks to wildlife and other animals because the wire frames and waxy fuel sources aren’t biodegradable.
Kamloops Fire Centre fire information officer Kayla Pepper said the Wildfire Management Branch has a partial prohibition on sky lanterns, which means they can’t be lit up and sent off in the Merritt Fire Zone between May 15 and Oct. 15 as per provincial fire bans. That restriction applies to areas outside of municipalities.
“When we do open burning restrictions, it’s not only for piled wood in your backyard. It also includes fireworks, burning barrels, and as of last year, sky lanterns,” Pepper said. “That’s due to the unpredictable nature of sky lanterns. When you release them, you can’t always control where they land. They are identified as a wildfire risk.”
The dates of the prohibition can be altered depending on how dry the season is, Pepper said.
Pepper said there’s already a risk for grass fires in the area.
