59left Firemasters fill a balloon
with hot air before launch
right Lighting the hundreds of
candles of a sein na pan balloon
bottom A successful send-up
requires delicate work by a
dozen or more team members
But for U Khin Maung Chit (who
also claims to be the top fire master
in Taunggyi), the biggest disaster
comes when a balloon’s fireworks
fail to ignite at all, and the team must
watch their work drift silently, gloomily,
into the darkness. “That’s what really
crushes you – when you do all that
work and you don’t even get to see
it,” he says. “It’s better when it burns
and crashes.”
That the balloons crash above
thousands – sometimes tens of
thousands – of fans doesn’t seem to
bother Khin Maung Chit. There are a
few injuries each year, but he insists
that the competition is (more or less)
safe, with emergency crews standing
by. The community of fire masters
holds itself responsible for following
the rules and regulations.Than Zaw also appears to be
unfazed, despite the fact that his last
home burned down after his stored
fireworks ignited and set fire to it.
Moreover, one of his four sons suffered
burns to his face and head whilegfiftffi59ffgffi ffg6ff