Flying lanterns could soon be banned in Windsor

Flying lanterns could soon be banned in Windsor, not long after one that was still on fire got stuck in a downtown tree.

Windsor's fire department is working on deeming flying lanterns, also known as sky lanterns, as prohibited under the City of Windsor's fireworks bylaw.

• Kingsville bans flying lanterns due to 'safety concern'

Currently, there are no rules regulating the sale or flight of flying lanterns.

Andrea DeJong, the acting deputy fire chief, says the fire department and city staff are working on updating the bylaw.

DeJong said the fire department has already asked fireworks retailers to not sell them within the city limits.

The lanterns and mini hot-air balloons use the heat of a small flame to gently rise into the sky. They're often used for outdoor celebrations and memorials.

The sky lanterns are only remain airborne for as long as the flame burns, after which it sinks back to the ground.
DeJong says once the paper lanterns are lit, they act like a hot air balloon, and are carried away by the wind.

"We are really concerned about sky lanterns people have been using because they have an uncontrolled flight path," she said.

Windsor fire crews responded to a lantern call on the weekend when one of the lanterns while still burning became stuck in a tree downtown.

DeJong says the problem is there's no way to know where the lanterns will land.

"We are aware that they've been set off some of the roofs of some of the larger condo towers along the riverfont. And what's happening is that they're flying into the river and across the bridge, and it creates quite a significant incident with it being an international crossing and whatnot and all the river traffic," she said.

Lanterns banned elsewhere

Two years ago, the Town of Kingsville outlawed the flaming objects.

The Ontario Fire Marshal as late as 2009 said the lanterns "posed a serious fire safety hazard."

"Due to their uncontrolled and unpredictable flight path, the lanterns can land on trees, building rooftops, or other combustible properties, while still ignited, and potentially cause a fire," the Ontario Fire Marshal said in a media release in September 2012.

The Ontario Fire Marshal encourages municipalities and fire departments to charge people under the Ontario Fire Code if the "owner" of the lantern can be determined.

The lanterns have been banned in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.