The fire department responded to a fire near the 16th Street water tanks. They found an improvised airborne incendiary device. The device consists of a stick, plastic, tin foil, and an unknown fuel. Here is how it is believed to work: The plastic is fashioned into a balloon with the stick holding it open. The tin foil is placed in the bottom with the fuel, possibly gasoline, inside the foil. The fuel is then ignited causing the balloon to fill with hot air and float away until the heat melts the plastic causing the device to fall and spill the remaining fuel causing a fire. The fire department reported seeing another one of these devices used within the past few weeks.

Dont think it would be gas. Is this common anywhere?

This was called in as "something on fire in the sky". The dispatchers actually went out on the roof, not beleiving the guy. Came back in with "oh shit" in the eyes. Luckily it landed in a desert area. Is there a place I can look up the wind direction last night?

Quoted: The fire department responded to a fire near the 16th Street water tanks. They found an improvised airborne incendiary device. The device consists of a stick, plastic, tin foil, and an unknown fuel. Here is how it is believed to work: The plastic is fashioned into a balloon with the stick holding it open. The tin foil is placed in the bottom with the fuel, possibly gasoline, inside the foil. The fuel is then ignited causing the balloon to fill with hot air and float away until the heat melts the plastic causing the device to fall and spill the remaining fuel causing a fire. The fire department reported seeing another one of these devices used within the past few weeks. Dont think it would be gas. Is this common anywhere? This was called in as "something on fire in the sky". The dispatchers actually went out on the roof, not beleiving the guy. Came back in with "oh shit" in the eyes. Luckily it landed in a desert area. Is there a place I can look up the wind direction last night?

Sounds like these guys might be serious contenders for a Darwin Award. I am waiting for the video they are sure to be making that will show the improvised balloon as it melts to quickly and drops the gasoline on one of their heads.

That is called a homemade hot air balloon. Just needs a few updates and it will be ready to fly!!!

tag for whatever Arfcom member that decides to make it.

We'll  make "UFOs"....on warm summer evenings when we haven't run any calls yet...... garment bag, small slab of balsa wood and some candle cups, a little twine....takes some time to get it to work but its quite entertaining.  

I have some thoughts of what I think it could be, but I really don't want to post them.

Quoted: I have some thoughts of what I think it could be, but I really don't want to post them.

Well, thanks for the input!

<This is not the place to post your favorite destructive device recipes - NorCal_LEO>

airborne incindiary devices?

My first thought was oxy/acetalene baloons..

Quoted: <This is not the place to post your favorite destructive device recipes - NorCal_LEO>

Whoops sorry

I really didn't think that one through I guess
I was just trying help AZ-K9 figure out what those kids might have been doing.

ETA: Not to make an issue of this but how is what I posted any different than what AZ-K9 posted?

Reminded me of this story:

www.thedenverchannel.com/news/6790966/detail.html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t#

A man from Sheridan is facing explosives charges after he accidentally blew up his own car with a gas-filled balloon he was taking to a Super Bowl party.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office found a suspicious-looking car Sunday afternoon behind the old Duggan's gas station in the 4500 block of South Santa Fe Drive frontage road. Passersby had called in to report some type of explosion or car accident.

When a deputy arrived to check it out, he found a white car that showed obvious signs of an explosion. All the windows were blown out, the vehicle doors were bent towards the outside and the roof was pushed about a foot higher than normal.

The deputy traced the license plate to a home in the 3600 block of South Grove Street in Sheridan. Sheridan officers talked to the people inside and a man and a woman admitted that they were in the car.

They explained that they were taking a balloon to a Super Bowl party -- a balloon filled with acetylene, a very explosive gas used in welding -- so they could blow up the balloon while celebrating.

However, on the drive, the balloon rolled across the back seat, possibly causing static electricity, and igniting the gas, causing it to explode.

The couple said a passer-by gave them a ride home.

Deputies called in an ambulance, who took the couple to Swedish Medical Center for possible shrapnel wounds and broken eardrums.

Norman Frey, 46, faces a charge of possession, use, or removal of explosives or incendiary devices. He faces two to six years in prison.

Didn't the Japanese send "balloons" with firebombs on them during WW2 to try and set fire to the West Coast?

No Expert

Hardly new tech