PG&E warns that metallic balloons can trigger damage, cause outages
– Pacific Gas and Electric Company is urging customers to secure metallic balloons ahead of Valentine’s Day to help prevent power outages across the Central Coast and throughout its service area.
The utility company says it typically sees an increase in outages around Valentine’s Day due to metallic balloons coming into contact with power lines. Customers who use metallic balloons should secure them to a weight, as required by California law, and should not release them outdoors.
Metallic balloons conduct electricity and can cause outages, damage electrical equipment, and create hazardous conditions for the public and first responders. Unlike latex balloons, metallic balloons can remain inflated and airborne for weeks, increasing the risk they will contact overhead power lines days or weeks after an event.
In 2025, metallic balloons caused nearly 350 outages across the company’s service area in Northern and Central California, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Those outages affected 165,000 customers and disrupted service to homes, businesses, and facilities including traffic signals, schools, and hospitals.
“One rogue metallic balloon can darken an entire neighborhood in seconds. While some might say a Valentine’s Day power outage adds extra romance to the evening, most find it frustrating and inconvenient. This holiday, customers can help keep the lights on by securing metallic balloons with a weight and never releasing them outdoors,” said Ron Richardson, vice president of Electric Distribution Operations for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
California law requires metallic balloons to be secured with a weight. The company says additional precautions are important during Valentine’s Day celebrations, when balloon use increases.
A video example of a metallic balloon contacting utility power lines is embedded below:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company advises customers to use caution when celebrating near overhead electric lines and to avoid using metallic balloons near power lines.
Customers should ensure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight heavy enough to prevent them from floating away and should never remove the weight. When finished with balloons, customers should not release them. They should puncture them several times or cut the knot and dispose of them in the garbage.
Customers should not attempt to retrieve a balloon or any foreign object tangled in power lines or inside a substation due to the risk of electrocution. They should leave the object in place and call Pacific Gas and Electric Company at (800) 743-5000 to report the issue.
Customers should not approach a power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling. They should assume downed electric lines are energized and dangerous, stay away, keep others away, and call 911 to alert police and fire departments.
