This is the dramatic moment a huge burning lantern dropped from the sky and set fire to the roof of a family's home.

The fiery Chinese lantern was released into the sky with a wish written on the paper hoping it would come true but it crashed in Wanning, in Hainan Province, southern China, on the morning of November 18.

Phone footage shows the scorched remains of the floating object landing on an air conditioner. The flames reportedly spread to the electrical installation of the cooling unit and across the roof before firefighters had to be called in.

The fire department reportedly came just 10 minutes later and brought the flames under control before they reached the home.

Police were also notified of the incident.

The Wancheng Town Government stated that the incident did not cause any casualties, and the person who released the lantern and then vanished is currently not located.

Authorities said they will continue to strengthen supervision of the production and sale of these giant lanterns.

Less than a month earlier, the Wancheng Town Government had issued a notice offering a CNY-5,000 (GBP-560) reward for reporting the production and sale of lanterns in hopes of reducing the number of such hazardous objects.