Here's How Many Sonoma County Outages Were Caused By Balloons

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — With Valentine's Day festivities taking place, Pacific Gas and Electric Company reminded Sonoma County customers that nothing puts a damper on a romantic evening faster than a widespread power outage.

Metallic balloons that contact overhead power lines can disrupt electric service to an entire neighborhood, cause significant property damage and potentially result in serious injuries, according to PG&E.

In 2021, metallic balloons that drifted into PG&E power lines caused more than 600 outages, a 27 percent increase from the previous year and the highest number of balloon-related outages that PG&E has seen in a decade.

Of those outages, 28 were in the North Bay, according to Deanna Contreras, PG&E spokesperson for the North Bay.

"In Sonoma County, balloons caused 13 power outages last year, that’s a huge increase compared to 5 outages in 2020," Contreras said.

In Santa Rosa last year, metallic balloons caused 7 outages; in Petaluma, 3; in Sonoma, 2; and in Guerneville, 1.

The top six cities in PG&E's coverage area that reported balloon-related outages in 2021 were San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oakland, Richmond and Stockton. Sometimes these outages interrupt electric service to important facilities such as hospitals, schools and traffic lights.

In order to significantly reduce the number of balloon-caused outages and to help ensure that everyone can safely enjoy Valentine’s Day, PG&E asked customers to follow these safety tips for metallic balloons:

• “Look Up and Live!" Use caution and avoid celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines.
• Make sure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away. Never remove the weight.
• When possible, keep metallic balloons indoors. Never permit metallic balloons to be released outside, for everyone's safety.
• Do not bundle metallic balloons together.
• Never attempt to retrieve any type of balloon, kite, drone or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Trying to retrieve it yourself is extremely dangerous. Leave it alone, and immediately call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to report the problem.
• Celebrate special occasions safely by ensuring that metallic balloons are secured with a heavyweight and never releasing them outdoors. You can learn more of these safety tips at safetyactioncenter.pge.com

“Balloons are a fun way to liven up holiday celebrations, but if they aren’t tied down with a weight, it’s easy for them to float into overhead power lines and disrupt service to entire communities," said Ron Richardson, regional vice president for PG&E's North Coast. "Keep your holidays safe by ensuring metallic balloons are secured by a weight."