Metallic Balloons Knock Out Power To 2,000 Customers In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Dominion Energy is urging residents not to release any balloons outside after Mylar balloons came into contact with power lines and caused a power outage early Tuesday morning in Arlington.

The balloons caused a short circuit or power surge, which knocked out power to 2,085 customers in Arlington. The balloons ended up damaging a circuit that had to be replaced.

Dominion said it was able to restore power to its customers in Arlington by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, less than three hours after the outage began.

"Fortunately, there was no fire and our crews were able to gradually switch customers to other circuits," Dominion spokeswoman Peggy Fox said in a statement.

Mylar balloons are metallic shiny, silver-like balloons that cause thousands of power outages each year when they float away and come into contact with power lines. They can cause large-scale outages, melting of electrical wires and even fires.

Residents should not release any balloons outside due to the danger to power lines and dispose of them properly, Dominion said.

Here are tips for handling balloons:

• Keep balloons indoors.
• Metallic balloons should always be secured with weights.
• Never attach metallic streamers to balloons.
• Balloons should never be released outdoors.
• When disposing of the balloons, puncture them to release the helium, which prevents them from flying away.
• Do not try to retrieve balloons tangled in power lines or electrical equipment.