Skip to main content
Edison International Edison International
Energized
  • Home
  • Stories
    • All Stories
    • People
    • Safety
    • Giving Back
    • Technology
    • Environment
    • The Grid
    • Good to Know
    • Spotlight
  • Videos
    • All Videos
    • People
    • Safety
    • Giving Back
    • Technology
    • Environment
    • The Grid
    • Good to Know
  • Connect
      social media
      • View/Upload Photos
      • About Us
  • Resources
    • Edison.com
    • SCE.com
    • Newsroom
    • Clean Energy
    • Wildfire Safety
    • Leading the Charge
  • Subscribe
    • All Stories
    • People
    • Safety
    • Giving Back
    • Technology
    • Environment
    • The Grid
    • Good to Know
    • Spotlight
    • All Videos
    • People
    • Safety
    • Giving Back
    • Technology
    • Environment
    • The Grid
    • Good to Know
      social media
      • View/Upload Photos
      • About Us
    • Edison.com
    • SCE.com
    • Newsroom
    • Clean Energy
    • Wildfire Safety
    • Leading the Charge

Nothing Romantic About Metallic Balloon Outages

Keep your community safe this Valentine’s Day by practicing metallic balloon safety.
Skip to content
Stories : Safety
Download Photos Download All
ESPAÑOL 한국어 中文 TIẾNG VIỆT
SCE Shares Top-10 Cities for Reporting Utility Bill Phone Scams

SCE Shares Top-10 Cities for Reporting Utility Bill Phone Scams

Bruce M. of San Bernardino was suspicious about the voicemail message. It said payment was late on his Southern California Edison bill and his service would be disconnected if he did not call back immediately. ...
View Story
Cities Approve Bans to Deflate Metallic Balloon Problem

Cities Approve Bans to Deflate Metallic Balloon Problem

Malibu proposed and tabled it, but Glendale and Hermosa Beach have actually done it. The two latter Southern California cities have banned the sale of metallic balloons — with Hermosa Beach going further by banning even the possession ...
View Story
‘Ready or Not’ Play Goes Virtual to Teach Kids About Wildfire Safety

‘Ready or Not’ Play Goes Virtual to Teach Kids About Wildfire Safety

More than 500 students from Kordyak Elementary School in Fontana recently learned some timely lessons on how they can help their families plan for a disaster or emergency during livestreams of “Ready or Not: Preparing for Wildfire,” a new play sponsored by Edison International. ...
View Story
Subscribe
Metallic balloon outages in 2020.
Metallic balloon outages in 2020.
SCE Shares Top-10 Cities for Reporting Utility Bill Phone Scams

SCE Shares Top-10 Cities for Reporting Utility Bill Phone Scams

Bruce M. of San Bernardino was suspicious about the voicemail message. It said payment was late on his Southern California Edison bill and his service would be disconnected if he did not call back immediately. ...
View Story
Cities Approve Bans to Deflate Metallic Balloon Problem

Cities Approve Bans to Deflate Metallic Balloon Problem

Malibu proposed and tabled it, but Glendale and Hermosa Beach have actually done it. The two latter Southern California cities have banned the sale of metallic balloons — with Hermosa Beach going further by banning even the possession ...
View Story
‘Ready or Not’ Play Goes Virtual to Teach Kids About Wildfire Safety

‘Ready or Not’ Play Goes Virtual to Teach Kids About Wildfire Safety

More than 500 students from Kordyak Elementary School in Fontana recently learned some timely lessons on how they can help their families plan for a disaster or emergency during livestreams of “Ready or Not: Preparing for Wildfire,” a new play sponsored by Edison International. ...
View Story
View Comments
Leave a Comment
  • We welcome your feedback and comments. We ask that you please keep them constructive, civil and respectful. If you wouldn’t say it in front of your mother, then there is a good chance it falls outside of our guidelines. Please read our comment policy here.
Comments
    Stories : Safety
    Download Photos Download All
    ESPAÑOL 한국어 中文 TIẾNG VIỆT

    Nothing Romantic About Metallic Balloon Outages

    Keep your community safe this Valentine’s Day by practicing metallic balloon safety.
    Taelor Bakewell
    Taelor Bakewell
    ENERGIZED by Edison Writer
    Contributors
    Infographic: Alfred Coello
    Published on February 09, 2021
    Subscribe
    Metallic balloons should never be released outdoors and should always be tied to a weight.
    Metallic balloons should never be released outdoors and should always be tied to a weight.

    Candlelight dinners are not as romantic when they are not planned.

    Metallic balloons may seem like the perfect gesture to show how much you care this Valentine’s Day. However, they are the cause of thousands of power outages across Southern California Edison’s service area every year.

    “Metallic balloons sound like the perfect gift for the holiday, but if not handled properly, they can not only cause major disruptions but also threaten public safety,” said Andrew Martinez, SCE vice president of Safety, Security & Business Resiliency.

    “Never release them outside and always secure them to a weight, as required by state law.”

    Last year, balloon-related outages were responsible for almost 420,000 hours of interrupted service and left nearly 1.5 million customers in the dark.

    Here are some tips on how to handle metallic balloons safely:

    • Metallic balloons should never be released outdoors.
    • Metallic balloons should always be tied to a weight.
    • Stores and vendors should only sell properly weighted balloons.
    • Keep the balloons indoors when possible.
    • Never try to retrieve balloons tangled in power lines or electrical equipment. Call 911 instead.
    • Cut the knot or puncture balloons before disposing of them.
    Tags: Valentine's Day, metallic balloons safety, public safety
    Metallic balloon outages in 2020.
    Metallic balloon outages in 2020.

    Connect with us

    Edison International

    Visit SCE

    • Pay My Bill
    • Report an Outage
    • Turn On/Off Service

    Family of Websites

    • SCE.com
    • EdisonEnergy.com
    • energized.edison.com
    • CAREERS
    • PRIVACY NOTICE
    • WEBSITE TERMS OF USE
    • CA Consumer Privacy Act Policy
    • © 2023 Edison International
    Edison Energy and its subsidiaries are not the same company as Southern California Edison, the utility, and they are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

    Download and Use Policy

    This Site is owned by Edison International. Unless otherwise indicated, all of the content featured or displayed on this Site, including but not limited to, text, graphics, data, photographic images, moving images, sound, illustrations, computer code, trade marks and logos and the selection and arrangement thereof (referred to in this section as the "Content") is owned by Edison International, its licensors or its third-party image partners and all rights in relation to the Content are reserved. All Content is protected by copyright, trade dress, moral rights, trade mark rights and other laws relating to the protection of intellectual property. You may use the Content for your personal, or news-related, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce, modify or in any way commercially exploit the Content.

    Accept   Decline