MYLAR BALLOON HITS POWER LINES, CAUSING BRUSH FIRE AND POWER OUTAGE

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By Miriam Raftery

June 19, 2017 (Del Cerro) – Residents in parts of Del Cerro, La Mesa and the College area around San Diego State University area were left without power for around two hours in blistering heat this morning after a Mylar balloon struck power lines.

The impact shortly before 10 a.m. caused a brush fire in the 6900 block of Elaine Way, but San Diego Fire and Rescue Department reports the blaze was doused within 10 minutes, charring only a small area around 15 feet by 15 feet.

It took until noon to restore power to the 1,200 customers affected, according to SDG&E’s outage page.

The incident serves as a reminder to properly dispose of used Mylar balloons and to never release them into the air, since they pose fire hazards if they come down onto power lines.


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