http://www.sparklersdepot.com/White-Sky-Lantern_p_63.html
 
 
Chinese Sky lanterns have become popular around here but they are dangerous. What they are is a a paper bag with some wire at the bottom which gets wrapped with paper and set on fire. The heat cause the bag to rise very much like a hot air balloon. Problem is, when the fire dies down, the lantern falls back to the ground sometimes while still on fire and you can't controll where it goes once it starts rising. I watched one come down on a gas station last night which could have easily started a fire or caused an explosion. They have been known to land on roofs of houses and start house fires.
 
Please do not use these stupid things. There were meant to be flown over water, not let loose in the city.

Now you tell bayoubill.

I agree I live by the coast and many of them get let off over the water and across the bay but the wind direction can sometimes have other ideas.

There have been other problems around here along with the obvious fire hazard, including where they've prompted the launch of the lifeboat on a false alarm after being mistaken for a distress flare and sheep and cattle getting into trouble after swallowing the remnants of the wire that gets left on grazing land.

All in all it seems like a stupid fad as they didn't seem to be seen around here until a few years ago.

Same idea on a large scale

  http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/history/news-wwii-japan-combats-us-bat-bombs-lethal-balloon-bombs

I haven't seen anyone around here using them, but yes, I would agree those would be dangerous.

I found the guys that were launching them in my neighborhood. They thought for sure that the fire would go out before the lantern would drop, I explained that the one I captured at the gas station was still on fire when it landed. They didn't think that could happen. Dumb drunks.

I also notified the fire department of lanterns, they took a very low profile about them, they compared them to bottle rockets and didn't think it was a big deal. Just wait till a house catches on fire or somebody gets hurt.

I would think notify the fire department is akin to notifying a bunch of soccer players that you found a ball.  Maybe the Police would care more?

I did report it to the police, the police didn't seem to care much either. They took a report and probably put it in the trash can. It was a big yawn to them.