Metallic balloons can pose safety risks, warns PG&E
Past outages prompt reminder about power line hazards
– Pacific Gas and Electric Company is reminding customers to secure helium-filled metallic balloons during graduation celebrations to help prevent power outages and safety hazards.
According to the utility company, metallic balloons that come into contact with overhead power lines can cause outages and create public safety risks. The company said metallic balloon safety is especially important during wildfire season.
During the first five months of the year, metallic balloons that contacted electric lines caused more than 100 power outages across the utility’s service area, affecting more than 46,000 customers. The outages disrupted service to homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, traffic signals, and other facilities.
- Monterey County: Four outages, 3,042 customers affected, and 262,967 customer minutes of lost service.
- Santa Cruz County: Two outages, 301 customers affected, and 28,898 customer minutes of lost service.
- Santa Barbara County: Five outages, 1,248 customers affected, and 72,105 customer minutes of lost service.
- San Luis Obispo County: One outage, two customers affected, and 92 customer minutes of lost service.
- San Benito County: No metallic balloon-related outages reported.
“Graduation season should be about celebrating students and their accomplishments, not dealing with avoidable outages,” said Jeremy Howard, Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s regional senior manager. “A metallic balloon released outdoors can quickly come into contact with overhead electric lines and knock out power for an entire neighborhood. We encourage everyone to celebrate safely by keeping metallic balloons secured with a weight.”
The utility company said metallic balloons are coated with a conductive material that can cause electrical equipment failures when the balloons contact overhead lines or equipment. The company said it typically sees an increase in balloon-related outages during graduation season.
The utility company recommends using caution around overhead electric lines and avoiding the use of metallic balloons near power lines. Helium-filled metallic balloons should be secured with a weight heavy enough to prevent them from floating away and should not be released outdoors. The company also advises against bundling metallic balloons together.
The utility company said people should never attempt to retrieve balloons, kites, or toys caught in power lines. Such incidents can be reported by calling (800) 743-5000.
The company also warned residents to stay away from downed power lines and to assume any fallen or dangling line is energized. People should keep others away and call 911 immediately if they encounter a downed line.
Additional safety information is available at pge.com/beprepared.
