When are they going to ban...

It isn't just people being oh it's so pretty and damn the consequences. They also build fires thinking what fun without having the slightest idea how to put them out. We came home a week ago to find smoke streaming into the garden. Even though its been wet the leaf mould is tinder dry and we live above a "green lung" in the city centre. A good place for a camp fire but they finish their picnic? Booze? Whatever and wander off.

And it pays to take care with an incinerator if you don't want to burn down your own warehouse

The smoke was so dense we had to abandon the garden even though we're two miles out of the village.

I agree about the Chinese Lanterns. How long before they bring down a light aircraft?

Terrible loss of life. My SiL is a firefighter.

However I have to admit at the wedding (him and my DD1) lanterns were set off by the guests including a large number of fire fighters.

The fire in the lanterns is designed to burn out after quite a short time and whilst the lantern is high. I think traditionally these lanterns were set off over the ocean and not over tinder dry grasslands and forests. Unfortunately human frailty means clear instructions, rules etc are often ignored and common sense not used.

I agree re the environmental risks though.

No loss of life with this one Nanaej, thank goodness. You are probably thinking of the awful fire in the US.

Yes indeed I am.

Yes, I'm with you on this one, j08. Same with helium balloons - why do people have this need to throw litter upwards? I suppose it makes a change from just chucking it on the ground, and it won't be local birds and animals which suffer.

I can see the attraction of chinese lanterns because they do look lovely, but the environmental risk is too great. I suppose people imagine them burning away without thinking about where they will be burning.