LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More metallic balloons are sold for Valentine’s Day than any other holiday and, not surprisingly, it’s also around this time of year that customers suffer from outages caused by unsecured metallic balloons drifting into power lines.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is happy to announce that for the second year in a row, Lake County has not had any outages due to metallic balloons.

“We’d like to thank our Lake County customers for properly handling metallic balloons and securing them with a weight. This has led to zero instances of metallic balloons coming into contact with our lines in 2016 and 2017, and thus avoiding outages,” said Carl Schoenhofer, senior manager of PG&E’s Humboldt Division.

Last year, metallic balloons were the cause of 456 power outages across PG&E’s service area, located in Northern and Central California, disrupting electric service to more than 371,000 homes and businesses.

Local Lake County businesses are also helping to spread the word by displaying the California Balloon Laws predominantly in stores. Metallic balloons should always be tied to a weight – as required by California law – and should never be released outdoors.

“I have been in business selling balloons in Lucerne since October, 2009 and as a balloon retailer, I take the laws and balloon safety very seriously. Most of the customers have never heard of the law at all and they are surprised when I tell them. I even have a special ‘bubble’ balloon made with rubber that doesn’t conduct electricity,” said Doni Wahl, owner and founder of Doni’s Occasion Station in Lucerne.

Unlike latex helium balloons, metallic balloons can stay inflated and floating for two to three weeks – posing a hazard to power lines and equipment even days after being released outside.

PG&E urges customers to follow these important safety tips for handling 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 done with balloons, do not release them. Puncture them several times or cut the knot and throw them in the garbage to prevent them from floating away, or insert a straw into the stem to deflate the balloon so it can be re-inflated and used again.

– Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon – or any foreign object – tangled in power lines or inside a substation. Instead, call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to report the problem.

– Never go near a power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling in the air. Always assume downed electric lines are energized and extremely dangerous. Stay away, keep others away and immediately call 911 to alert the police and fire departments.