EMERGENCY services are urging the public to stop using "fire hazard" sky lanterns to show appreciation for NHS workers.

Following the circulation of social media posts encouraging the release of Chinese lanterns while clapping for carers, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is asking the public to find safer alternatives to show their support for those working on the frontline.

Generally made from paper and wire, the lanterns have the ability to cause a fire depending on where they land and the speed they extinguish, which in turn could result in fire crews attending the scene with more potential exposure to Covid-19.

The lanterns are also a danger to animals, pets and passers-by.

DWFRS area manager Craig Baker said: "With Chinese lanterns, you're basically throwing a naked flame into the sky with no control over the direction it will take or where it will land - in addition, there is no guarantee that the fuel source will be fully extinguished and cooled when the lantern eventually descends, and that presents a real fire hazard.

"At a time when we are trying to keep our turn-outs to a minimum, to protect our crews from potential exposure to coronavirus, the last thing we need is lots of people launching these lanterns. We would urge everyone to find safer ways of supporting our key workers."

In a statement issued last week, the National Fire Chiefs Council chairman Roy Wilsher said the aftermath of sky lanterns could put additional pressure on both fire services and the NHS.

He said: “If a sky lantern causes a fire, it could see firefighters spending valuable time dealing with what could be a complex and large-scale incident. Time which could be spent supporting vulnerable people in the community, as part of the fire services response to Covid-19.”

Communities have shown gratitude to the NHS in different ways, including the weekly clapping event, donations and making personal protective equipment.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has also asked the public to not use sky lanterns.

Rebecca Davidson, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “We owe the NHS a huge debt of gratitude and understand people want to show their support. We are urging the public to show their support in other ways as none of us wants to put additional pressure on emergency services.

"Sky lanterns present a fire risk in both urban and rural areas. Debris from burnt out lanterns can also injure and even kill grazing farm animals if they eat it.

“The countryside is extremely dry after three weeks without rainfall in many areas and sky lanterns released now could start grassland and moorland fires as well as putting homes and commercial premises at risk."