Pretty But Dangerous Lanterns Banned in Illinois
What goes up must come down – and if it’s a floating lantern, it poses a serious danger.
That’s why the Illinois fire marshal’s office has issued an official notice banning sky lanterns in the state. The pretty but hazardous devices are also sometimes called aerial luminaries.
The notice follows a May 14 vote by the marshal’s Consumer Fireworks Review Committee that put sky lanterns on the list of prohibited fireworks.
State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis says sky lanterns launched during celebrations “can turn into tragedy.”
Officials say the lanterns can travel long distances, starting forest or house fires when they finally drift down to earth. Aviation authorities have also expressed concerns the devices can distract or disorient pilots.
Illinois joins many other states with similar bans.
- Jury Awards $80M to 3 Former Zurich NA Employees for Wrongful Termination
- Work Safety Group Releases List of ‘Dirty Dozen’ Employers
- 4,800 Claims Handled by Unlicensed Adjusters in Florida After Irma, Lawsuit Says
- Insurers Get Green Light to Pay Less Than Billed Charges in Florida PIP Cases
- EVs Head for Junkyard as Mechanic Shortage Inflates Repair Costs
- Poll: Consumers OK with AI in P/C Insurance, but Not So Much for Claims and Underwriting
- Report: Vehicle Complexity, Labor ‘Reshaping’ Auto Insurance and Collision Repair
- CoreLogic Report Probes Evolving Severe Convective Storm Risk Landscape