Hold on to your balloons

Tempting as it may be to release a balloon into the sky after a graduation or birthday, Arizona Public Service is urging the public to refrain. Stray balloons, especially mylar, or foil, balloons, can cause power outages and other hazards if they become entangled in power lines.

In the span of a single week at the end of March, mylar balloons caused three separate outages for APS customers, affecting nearly 10,000 homes and businesses statewide, including in Globe.

“This is more common than many might think, and coincidentally, we had three outages in recent days caused by mylar balloons,” said APS media relations representative Casey Taggatz. “We see spikes in these incidents around holidays such as Valentine's Day, as well as graduation and those events where balloons are more popular. But of course, there are those times like last week when they arise more randomly.”

Two of the incidents took place in Chandler and Peoria, where balloons caused outages affecting nearly 9,000 customers over two days. A third outage occurred March 31 in Globe, where nearly 1,000 customers lost power.

In each case, crews were able to safely restore power within an hour, Taggatz said. 

However, APS cautions that future incidents may not be resolved as quickly or without more serious consequences.

Since the metallic coating on mylar balloons conducts electricity, it can not only cause a short circuit or power surge leading to large-scale outages; contact between balloons and power lines can lead to melted electrical wires, fires, property damage and even injuries to people, pets and wildlife.

“While crews were able to quickly restore power, these situations present an opportunity to remind folks about the importance of safely using mylar (foil) balloons,” said Taggatz, “especially with holidays and outdoor celebrations increasing this time of year.”

APS reported responding to more than 100 balloon-related outages in 2023, affecting nearly 100,000 customers.

Lawmakers in several states have taken steps to address the issue. Eleven states have enacted bans on balloon releases, and 17 states, including Arizona, introduced similar legislation last year.

In California, a 2023 law will phase out traditional mylar balloons in favor of nonconductive alternatives by 2031.

To avoid incidents, APS advises the public to only use balloons indoors and away from power lines, keep them tied to a weight or somehow tethered, and to puncture, deflate and properly dispose of them when no longer in use. 

To reduce the risk of outages and injuries, APS recommends using balloons indoors and away from power lines, keeping them securely tied to a weight, and properly deflating and disposing of them when no longer in use.

The utility also advises the public not to attempt to retrieve balloons, kites or other objects caught in power lines. People should always assume power lines are energized and stay at least 100 feet away.

To report an incident, call the APS Outage Hotline at 602-371-3680 or 855-688-2437, or visit aps.com/outage. Additional electrical safety tips are available at: aps.com/safety.