With graduation season well underway, the state’s largest utility is warning that something that may seem harmless could be potentially dangerous.
Arizona Public Service wants to make sure people keep celebratory, mylar balloons which are made out of a metallic material, in check.
Spokeswoman Jenna Shaver said the shiny balloons, used to celebrate special occasions, represent a danger to power lines and electrical equipment.
“They actually do cause damage to our system. And, it’s a public safety issue as well. It can be dangerous. It can spark. It can cause a fire. We wanna make sure our customers stay safe and keep these balloons away from any electrical equipment," Shaver said.
Shaver said there were 50 confirmed cases last year in which balloons caused outages on the APS system, interrupting service to more than 40,000 customers. The utility recommends the balloons be tethered or kept indoors and that they be deflated when they’re no longer in use.