PG&E warns of outages that balloons could cause

With graduation season beginning, PG&E is letting people know the public safety risks associated with helium-filled metallic balloons.

The organization says that if a graduation celebration involves balloons, they should be secured with a weight. Unweighted balloons can float away and come into contact with overhead power lines, causing power outages and public safety risks.

In the first four months of 2022, metallic balloons striking electric lines have caused nearly 152 power outages in PG&E's service area, disrupting service to more than 56,000 customers. These power outages can interrupt electric service to critical facilities such as hospitals, schools, and traffic lights.

PG&E's Asset Failure Analysis team found that a greater percentage of fires caused by balloons were larger than one-quarter acre compared to fires attributed to other common ignition sources.

For example, last month a balloon made contact with an electric line and caused a grass fire pictured near Fresno. In April, a balloon-caused outage in Madera started a grass fire and knocked out power to more than 13,000 people.

Ignitions caused by metallic balloons are increasing in frequency, with a 48 percent increase in the last two years. Balloon-caused outages are most common in the late spring and early summer when customers are celebrating a variety of holidays and special occasions.

To significantly reduce the number of ballooncaused outages and to safely enjoy graduations, Father's Day and summer celebrations, PG&E asks customers to follow these important safety tips for metallic balloons:

• Buy latex or rubber balloons instead of metallic.

• Use caution and avoid celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines.

• Make sure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away. Never remove the weight.

• When possible, keep metallic balloons indoors. Never permit metallic balloons to be released outside, for everyone's safety.

• Do not bundle metallic balloons together.

• Never attempt to retrieve any type of balloon, kite, drone, or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Leave it alone, and immediately call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to report the problem.

• Never go near a power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling in the air. Always assume downed electric lines are energized and extremely dangerous. Stay far away, keep others away and immediately call 911 to alert the police and fire departments.