Last year over 800,000 customers lost power in Southern California due to – not rolling blackouts or ancient faulty equipment – but to metallic balloons. You tend to see them more around Valentines day, graduation and birthday parties – and if they are released they have to come down somewhere. If that somewhere is on a power line, the metal in the balloons can cause lines to short or explode, causing outages and wildfires.
If they miss a power line, they still hit the ground somewhere out in our beautiful Mojave desert – creating an eyesore during deep hikes and potentially harming plants and wildlife.
Some cities already have a ban on these balloons, and there will be a statewide ban of metal balloons in 2031.
SCE gives tips like always weigh down balloons and deflate them before disposing of them. Those are good tips, but the best way to keep these temporary decorations from littering the desert, powerlines and landfills is to simply not buy them at all.
