HOLLYWOOD HILLS—On July 21, at 12:25 a.m. a power outage left parts of
Hollywood and Melrose in the dark. According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), they posted on their Twitter page that the cause of the power outage was mylar balloons. At around 2:00 p.m., on Monday, all power was restored to the region.

 

The LADWP posted a fact sheet about the dangers of mylar balloons and powers lines, stating that “silvery metallic coating is a conductor for electricity. When mylar balloons float into the sky and make contact with power lines, they can short transformers, cause power outages, melt an electrical wire and cause it to fall. They can even spark an electrical surge that could potentially destroy home electronics.”

 

The fact sheet further explained that mylar balloons cause more that 150 electrical service interruptions a year. A few tips the LADWP provided on how to handle mylar balloons included: keeping the items away from power lines, always attaching a weight to mylar balloons, never releasing a mylar balloons outdoors, never using metallic ribbons with mylar balloons and to always deflate the balloons and dispose of them properly.

 

If a mylar balloon is in contact with a power line, keep people, electrical items and other items at least 10 feet away. The LADWP advises to not make any attempts to climb the pole, or any other methods to retrieve the object; instead contact the LADWP at 1(800) DIAL DWP.