LOS ANGELES, CA (May 9, 2025) – As Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, prom, and graduation season approach, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) reminds Angelenos who are celebrating these special occasions with metallic balloons to properly secure them, and to deflate them after use, to prevent them from floating into power lines and causing power outages.
Metallic balloons that make contact with electrical equipment is one of the most common causes of power outages in Los Angeles. During the week of April 28-May 4, 2025, at least five recorded power outages occurred due to metallic balloons colliding with LADWP’s energized equipment. These incidents caused nearly 3,000 LADWP customers to lose power – some lasting a few minutes and two lasting between one to four hours.
“Letting go of a Mylar balloon can ruin a celebration and impact hundreds of homes and businesses,” said David Hanson, LADWP’s Senior Assistant General Manager of the Power System. “In the months of May and June when metallic balloons are especially prevalent for celebrations, we want to bring awareness that if improperly handled, they can cause power outages that can take hours or longer to repair, endangering the public and our crews. We need everyone’s help to skip mylars altogether or tie down their metallic balloons to prevent ruining the party.”
California Penal Code Section 653.1 also requires all metallic balloons to be anchored with a weight to prevent them from going into power lines. When selling metallic balloons, florists and other merchants are advised to always check that the balloons are properly weighed down and tell customers to not release them outdoors.
LADWP recognizes customer safety as one of its top priorities, and therefore offers the following additional tips on metallic balloon usage during this celebratory season:
- Never release balloons outside, instead keep them indoors.
- Ensure that balloons are tethered and attached to a weight.
- Puncture and deflate the balloons before discarding them.
- Do not attach metallic ribbons to metallic balloons.
Most importantly, do not ever attempt to remove balloons entangled in power lines. Report any incidents of metallic balloon and power line contact by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP and a crew will be dispatched for removal. If you encounter any downed wires, always assume they are energized and dangerous, stay away, and call 911 immediately!
If you need to report a power outage or track the status of restoration in LADWP’s service area, visit www.ladwp.com/outages or call LADWP’s customer service at 1-800-DIAL-DWP. Customers can also sign up to receive outage alerts via text or email, in English or Spanish, by going online at www.ladwp.com/OutageAlert.
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