SDG&E Encourages Customers to Keep Mylar Balloons Away from Power Lines this Valentine's Day
Last updated 2/12/2021 at 11:32am
Heart shaped mylar balloons, while festive on Valentine’s Day, can be dangerous and cause power outages if not tied down properly, accidentally float away and get entangled in high voltage power lines.
The metallic coating that gives them their bright, festive color is a conductor for electricity and what causes an electric outage when helium filled Mylar balloons come in contact with power lines.
It’s around this time every year the electric company notices a surge in Mylar balloon incidents, which is why SDG&E is asking that everyone do their part to help prevent Mylar balloon related outages by following a few easy tips:
· Keep your Mylar balloons indoors.
· If your Valentine’s Day festivities take you outdoors, keep your balloons securely fastened or attached to a weight.
· When the fun is done, dispose of a Mylar balloon by fully deflating it so that it doesn’t get loose and float away. Partially inflated Mylar balloons can easily become airborne.
· If you notice a Mylar balloon, or any object, entangled in an overhead power line, please call 9-1-1 or SDG&E at 800-411-7343. Do not try to remove it yourself.
Over the past five years, Mylar balloons have been identified as the cause of more than 500 power outages to our region’s electrical system.
