Close shave as lit Chinese lanterns lands in straw

Luckily John Duffin and his brother Bill saw it happen and were able to extinguish the flames saving the field and many thousands of pounds.

The paper, wire and bamboo constructions have recently become popular at weddings and parties. Lit and released into the sky to symbolise hope and good luck, the lanterns are often still alight or smouldering when they land, an obvious fire risk, while the wire construction is also a risk to livestock.

After his narrow escape John contacted his local NFU branch and has since generated much local publicity about the lanterns and the potentially lethal implications for livestock.

“Bill saw the lanterns landing in the dry straw. There seemed to be a lot of them landing in the field and in the next door field of grass, which we’ll shortly be cutting for silage,” he says.

“We’ll have our work cut out to find them now and I am worried if we don’t find them all, they could get chopped up in the silage and months down the line the wire pieces could kill a cow by perforating her stomach.

“I really think lanterns should be banned – they’re just too dangerous.” 

Fellow Leicestershire farmer and vice-county chairman Chris Parker says he wants event managers and the public to know the dangers.

“They are not toys; they are a real danger to animals, crops, buildings and the countryside,” he says. “They may look like a bit of fun, but they’re incredibly dangerous.”

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