MP sends letter to sky lantern event organisers demanding cancellation
A Derbyshire MP has sent a letter to the American organisers of a sky lantern event due to be held later this month near moorland, causing public fury due to the heightened awareness of wildfires.
Over 9,000 people have also signed a petition to stop the major sky lantern festival from going ahead at Buxton Raceway, Derbyshire on 28 July.
The Lights Fest, organised by a US company, promises families to "ignite their personalised sky lanterns with Tiki torches and let them take flight".
But the public and the local farming industry say that allowing the event to go ahead is "dangerous and irresponsible", as the risk of starting further fires on moorland is extremely high.
And now Ruth George, MP for High Peak has this week sent another letter to the event organisers, following a previous letter sent on the 23 June to the Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service, Peak District National Park Authority and High Peak Borough Council.
As of 5 July, no response has been made from the American event organisers. However, their website claims the sky lanterns are "flame retardant" and are biodegradable with a "limited burn time", and are therefore not a fire hazard.
In her letter, Ms George says: "In light of the extremely hazardous conditions in High Peak I call on you to cancel this event.
"Your website states, “We will never produce or take part in any event without the help of the local fire marshal and fire department.
"However I have asked Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service for their view and the Chief Fire Officer has responded to inform me: “I’m told that an application for a Premises License has recently been submitted and, as statutory consultees, we will be strongly advising against this event… The Fire Service will be highlighting the many risks, especially since we have a dry weather forecast ahead.”
"In the case of Buxton you do not appear to have complied with your own commitment to produce an event without the local fire service and it is difficult to see how you will be able to do so."
No rain is forecast in Buxton for the next 2 weeks, and likely until the date of the event. UK government guidelines also say that sky lanterns must not be released in wind speeds which exceed 5mph.
Ms George says Buxton is one of the highest market towns in the UK and wind speeds are rarely less than 5mph, even in the evenings.
Sky lantern danger
Moorland and gorse fires have ignited throughout the UK during the ongoing heatwave, most notably at Saddleworth Moor, Winter Hill and Glenshane Pass, Northern Ireland.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue are also in talks with the event organisations to cancel it from going ahead. The Derbyshire Events Safety Advisory Group has expressed concerns.
The public and the local farming industry in Dumfries and Galloway successfully put a stop to a Lights Fest sky lantern event last month.
It was due to take place on the Springkell estate near Lockerbie in September, but it attracted heavy criticism from local farmers, who said the timing of the event was particularly bad since harvest would be under way.
The farming industry has frequently warned of the damage the sky lanterns bring to livestock health and farm buildings, which pose a threat as a dangerous fire hazard.
