Municipality of Bluewater council has voted to include a ban on floating lanterns in its Open Air Burning bylaw.
Mayor Tyler Hessel explains the concern of councillors is that once the floating lanterns are on fire and have been released into the air there's no control over what they might come into contact with or where they may ultimately land.
Hessel points that could be a couple of houses away or it could be in the next sub-division. The greater concern, particularly late in the summer is that they could land in the middle of a crop that is very dry and waiting to be harvested.
Hessel also points out even if the result isn't a fire, at the very least it's littering.
The Fire Marshall has recommended the floating lanterns be prohibited but the Ontario government hasn't taken any action, so Hessel says Bluewater decided to join the other municipalities that are just a little ahead of the curve.
