'Fire bags of death'

A group of men recently saw something burning in the sky above Wood Lake and they were shocked by what they discovered. 

Shawn Browne and his friends took their boat out after work on April 30 when the balls of fire in the sky caught their attention. 

“They went up fast and came down fast,” said one of the men. 

As the men approached the objects, they discovered "fire bags of death," also known as sky lanterns. 

“One of them actually lit on fire while it was floating up in the air more so than it already was, it lit the bag on fire,” said Browne.

After feeling frustrated and concerned about the potential for the fire bags to start a wildfire, they decided to post a video on social media.

“Obviously the last couple of summers in the Okanagan haven’t been the best and with the warmer temperatures we are getting, if one of those bags got caught in a gust of wind, flew to the side, and could easily start a wildfire,” said Browne. 

The BC Wildfire Service says if people are doing these kinds of activities they should be cautious, especially this time of year when things can be tinder dry. 

“During periods when forest fields are dry and the danger of forest fires increases, BC Wildfire service may impose restrictions on fireworks and sky lanterns to limit the risk of wildfires starting,” said Kelsey Dunkley, fire information officer at Kamloops Fire Centre.

There are no fire restrictions on these activities right now.

“With hot and dry conditions we’d like to remind people to remain cautious,” said Dunkley.

Browne says he is also concerned about the litter from the lanterns and hopes speaking out will make people think twice next time.