CHILLICOTHE - A wave of lanterns lighting up the night sky may be a beautiful sight, but the Chillicothe Fire Department warns you could find yourself in trouble.
Assistant Chief Steve Gallagher said the department has had to be the bearer of bad news to several callers who were wanting to use the sky lanterns for events. One caller had already bought lanterns for a Memorial Day event and was devastated by the news, Gallagher said.
"You can buy them all day long (in Ohio). You just can't set them off legally," Gallagher said.
Under Ohio law, the lanterns aren't considered a firework but they are considered a flame effect. As such, the law requires an exhibitor license to do a flame effect display inside or out in front of an audience, which can be costly, Gallagher said.
But what constitutes an audience? Is one individual an audience? Is your family?
"For the purpose of this code, an audience is constituted by two or more people watching an event. So, an observer and the person setting them off constitute an audience," Gallagher said.
Part of the issue is liability. With an open flame, the lanterns have the potential to start fires. If one does cause a fire and is traced back, Gallagher said the individual could be on the hook to pay for damages and the costs to extinguish the fire.
