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Smethwick blaze CCTV released

West Midlands Fire Service has released CCTV footage of the moment it believes a Chinese lantern floated into a recyling centre in Smethwick, starting a huge blaze

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Chinese lantern caused '£6m' worth of damage in blaze

Vijith Randeniya, chief fire officer of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said a Chinese fire lantern which sparked the fire in Smethwick has caused £6 million worth of damage.

We have a situation where a fire has started here, £6 million-worth of loss, started by one of these lanterns and that was eminently preventable.

We don't want to be party poopers and we know they are used in a lot of celebrations.

– Vijith Randeniya, chief fire officer of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service
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Smethwick blaze CCTV released

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