The pandemic has transformed graduations into festive drive-by celebrations. You may have seen colorful car parades complete with signs, streamers and shiny Mylar balloons tied to vehicles. Unfortunately, the thing that makes Mylar balloons so shiny is also the thing that can cause an electric outage if the metallic coating makes contact with a power line.

As more people find creative ways to celebrate milestones in place of traditional events, we want to encourage everyone to do their part to help prevent Mylar balloon related outages.

Just over the past week alone, seven Mylar balloon related outages caused service disruptions for about 3,800 customers. Over the past five years, Mylar balloons have been identified as the cause of more than 500 power outages on our region’s electrical system.

It’s around this time every year that a surge in Mylar balloon incidences occur which is why SDG&E is asking everyone to help prevent them with a few easy-to-follow tips:

• When the fun is done, show some love by deflating the Mylar balloon so that it doesn’t get loose and float away. Remember, partially inflated Mylar balloons can easily become airborne.
• Whenever possible try to keep your Mylar balloons indoors.
• If your festivities take you outdoors, do your best to keep your balloons securely fastened. California State Law mandates that all balloon bouquets sold must have a weight attached.
• If you notice a Mylar balloon entangled in an overhead power line, call 9-1-1 or SDG&E at 800-411-7343. Do not try to remove it yourself.

To learn more about power line safety, visit sdge.com/safety.