Sky Lanterns - anyone with experience releasing them in Negril?

I'm looking for 100% biodegradable sky lanterns - no wires, no assembly. From reading reviews, it seems some are advertised as biodegradable, but come with wires that hold the fuel cell.

I'm also interested to know if they will always float away from land if released from the beach, and if they burn out before coming back down? I wouldn't want to start the Morass on fire if the wind shifts in Feb when it might be very dry.

Any info will be appreciated!

The key to sky lanterns is that it must be very calm. Then they work well and definitely burn out before coming back down (the flame of course is what keeps them up). If it's too breezy, they tip. The greatest danger is that if you release them too soon, before the air is really hot inside, or if the wind is taking them in the wrong direction, they may get caught in a tree instead of rising up and then WILL set that tree on fire if it's dry.

I've used these from various vendors for a number of years at fireworks events, and have never seen them without a wire frame to hold the burning wax-impregnated fuel pad. But the wire is thin and cheap, and probably rusts away quite rapidly.

Absolutely the best way to light them is with a propane torch, which lets you both fill the lantern with hot air and get the fuel pad burning completely right away.

Hi Marica -- nice to "see" you again. Some friends had them at Seasplash last year and we sent them off a couple of nights. They are beautiful to watch float off, and lots of people stopped and watched until they went out of sight. We laughed about how people on the cliffs might see them and wonder what the heck they were seeing. I will say once one of the lanterns seemed to be heading toward the thatched roof at Norma's vs out to sea, but it changed course gratefully and went back out over the sea. I would like to bring some this year, it was a cool thing. Very zen haha.

Thanks for all the tips, wrtiii.
Some reviews I read seemed to be talking about the cheaper lanterns that were hard to get aloft, but it might have been technique since it seems to take a little skill and knowledge of what you're doing. I know the fire keeps them aloft and when they burn out they drop. I was more interested in people that might have had malfunctions where something caused the lanterns to fall with the fuel cell still burning. Those reviews made me a little concerned.

The cheaper lanterns i saw online all have the wires.
But I also found the "Original White Sky Lantern with treated rope/string that secures the fuel cell and comes completely assembled. The hoop is bamboo. I would consider buying those.

Granted, the wires are cheap and flimsy, but they add up. The reef by the beach is struggling and I don't like the idea of personally adding to the stress.

The propane torch sentence made me grin - I wouldn't be at all comfortable using one in Negril with alcohol involved. I know me.
Again, thanks for the info!

Mrs. Wilson - nice to "see" you too.

we set a bunch off at the White Diamond Rumbar Party a week ago.......
they had the wires etc and you place the fuel thingy on the wire and then light.......
takes a couple people to hold the lantern while it's being lit and while the chamber gets hot........
let the chamber get real hot and slowly the lantern will lift off itself.........
there can't be any kind of breeze or wind when you do these.......
it was fun seeing so many in the sky at one time.......wi had a trail of them in the sky and they looked awesome....

Cool Runnings, Marko

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We took some to Negril last summer and launched them from the beach. I got them from Amazon.

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Thanks, Just Chuck

Marcia we set off 120 biodegradable lanterns which needed fire dept approval.I think a few wouldn't be a problem
but if there was a problem (fire on a rooftop) you would be liable.
Farmer