Coronavirus: Fire chiefs and animal lovers furious at plans to release hundreds of sky lanterns every week in aid of NHS

Firefighters, farmers, the RSPCA and much of the public are in uproar over plans to release hundreds of Chinese lanterns every Sunday to support the NHS during the coronavirus crisis.

The risk of sparking infernos is the last thing fire crews need at a time of emergency, critics are warning, and fire chiefs say the idea should be “highly discouraged”.

Farmers and animal welfare charities have also pleaded with people not to set off the sky lanterns, fearing they will also burn, injure or choke farm and wild animals and even pets.

The plan is the idea of London-based company Night Sky Lanterns, which said it would donate the proceeds to the NHS to buy protective gear during the pandemic. For £6, buyers can get a “candle bag” printed with a union flag.

But the company told The Independent it had been overwhelmed by the number of messages opposing the connection with the NHS, and that it “may be forced to change it and donate the money to a different charity”.

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It had announced on its website at the weekend: “As we are all advised to #StayAtHome and follow social distancing guidelines, all together we will be releasing Union Jack sky lanterns from gardens and driveways of houses across the UK, every Sunday night, until this unprecedented situation has been overcome.”

But its scheme has backfired, with the public and conservationists bombarding the firm with objections, many begging it to call off the idea and asking other people to support the emergency services by not buying lanterns.

Sky lanterns are legal but some councils, including every one in Wales, have issued local bans on releasing them. The RSPCA says about 200,000 sky lanterns are sold and released each year in the UK.

The National Fire Chiefs Council said the “misguided” plan posed a risk to livestock, agriculture, thatched properties and hazardous material sites.

Sky lanterns, which are made of paper, have a flame at the bottom, like in a hot-air balloon, that makes them rise in the air.

The RSPCA, which is already campaigning for councils to ban “sky litter”, tweeted: “It’s lovely to see people supporting the NHS but sadly, sky lanterns can cause injury and suffering to animals and have a devastating impact on the environment.”

On social media, many people reacted incredulously at the company’s plan, saying it was irresponsible as the gadgets could not only force firefighters out during the lockdown, but also put extra strain on the NHS if people were injured.

Zoologist and wildlife activist Megan McCubbin said: “When the NHS is trying to save lives, your company is suggesting lighting lanterns to show support but in doing so will endanger more lives. Appalling.”

Farmers say cows have died from eating bits of lanterns on the ground, and other country-dwellers have reported horses suffering burns from the falling debris. A photograph of an owl killed by a lantern after becoming entangled in it has been shared thousands of times.

Lee Baker, station commander of the West Midlands Fire Service told the Home Office and home secretary Priti Patel the devices should be banned.

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Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue area manager Craig Baker said the last thing they needed was lots of people launching lanterns.

In January paper sky lanterns caused a fire at a zoo in Germany that killed more than 30 animals including five orangutans, two gorillas, a chimpanzee and several monkeys.

National Fire Chiefs Council chairman Roy Wilsher said they did not believe lanterns should be used under any circumstances.

“All emergency services are under unprecedented pressure due to Covid-19, and I am concerned this type of activity could not only put additional pressure on the fire service, but further strain on the NHS,” he said.

“If a sky lantern causes a fire, it could see firefighters spending valuable time dealing with what could be a complex and large-scale incident. Time which could be spent supporting vulnerable people in the community, as part of the fire services response to Covid-19.”

Night Sky Lanterns says only poor-quality lanterns are dangerous, and their own do not pose a high risk provided they are “used as intended in appropriate conditions and in small numbers”.

It says its devices are made with fireproof copy paper and a fuel cell made of fabric, which “ensures that after burning it will crumble in the air” before the lanterns start descending.

It says they contain no metal parts, are eco-friendly and comply with a Trading Standards code of practice.

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It asks buyers to consider using LED tea lights to minimise the risk of fire from the wax candles included.

Company owner Fabio Paduanelli told The Independent that the intention was to donate the money raised to NHS charities.

“While this is our primary intent, we may be forced to change it and donate the money to a different charity, like those who are helping homeless people,” he said. “Either way, we will let people who participate to this fundraising campaign to choose charities to donate this money.”

Mr Paduanelli said that as a farmer’s son, he understood the concerns, and had changed the design to minimise fire risks.

He blamed companies with lower quality products for making people think all lanterns were the same.

“While we recognise that sky lanterns have caused inconveniences to farmers and some member of the public, we strongly believe that all those concerns are associated with poor-quality sky lanterns which are not equipped with the latest innovative components,” its site says.