1776Reporting
As wildfires ravage Los Angeles, leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins and forcing mass evacuations, one TikToker captured an infuriating scene on a Southern California beach: a group of people releasing sky lanterns into the night sky near a high-risk fire zone.
The TikToker, who wished to remain anonymous, shared her experience with The Post. She had visited a beach near Santa Barbara seeking some peace after working with wildfire victims. Instead, she stumbled upon what she described as a dangerous and thoughtless act.
“They just kept launching more and more,” she said. Sky lanterns, small airborne balloons powered by lit candles, can climb as high as 1,500 feet. They are notorious for crash-landing on trees, rooftops, or dry grass, often sparking devastating fires.
Illegal and Risky Behavior
In California, where fire danger is a constant threat, launching sky lanterns is strictly illegal. The TikToker recounted watching the partiers light lantern after lantern, seemingly oblivious to the potential consequences. “It absolutely devastated me to see this,” she said.
One particularly harrowing moment came when she saw a lantern drift toward the nearby mountains. At that point, she and another bystander, who had been displaced by the LA fires, decided to intervene.
Armed with their phones, they approached the group to confront them. The partiers claimed the lanterns were safe because “it’s not windy” and insisted they had a “permit.” This explanation only heightened the TikToker’s frustration.
“Have you even gone down to LA? Do you even know what’s happening?” she fired back, referencing her own work with fire victims.
Danger Hits Close to Home
The bystander who joined her in speaking out shared his own harrowing story. “He told me he and his family were displaced from LA. He said, ‘We’re sheltering up here. And now we see this?’” she recalled.
Despite the group’s claim that the lanterns were for a memorial service, the TikToker pleaded with them to stop. “I’m so sorry, but I’ve been going down to LA, I’ve been seeing the devastation, and I don’t want to start a fire here,” she told them.
When the confrontation escalated, the TikToker backed off and called 911. Authorities soon arrived to shut down the lantern launch.
A Harrowing Reminder
Even after the situation was resolved, the TikToker couldn’t shake the unease she felt. “Just seeing this, and knowing what’s happening in LA, physically going down there, it absolutely devastated me,” she shared.
She described feeling unsafe even in Santa Barbara, where she had hoped to escape the chaos. “I thought I would be safe up here, but now I don’t feel safe at all.”
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how careless acts, even when well-intentioned, can have catastrophic consequences. As Southern California continues to battle wildfires, the reckless actions of a few could threaten the safety of countless others.
Local authorities have urged residents and visitors alike to exercise caution and report illegal activities that pose a fire risk.
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