MILWAUKEE — A seemingly harmless celebration turned into a blackout Tuesday night when Mylar balloons hit power lines, cutting electricity for about 2,400 people on Milwaukee’s East Side.
The outage, which happened near North Prospect and East Brady, is part of a growing problem. Since 2020, these balloons have caused power failures for more than 120,000 We Energies customers.
When Mylar balloons come in contact with power lines, their metallic coating turns them into conductors, creating a short circuit that can snap power lines and cause outages in an instant.
Watch: We Energies spokesperson explains the dangers of Mylar balloons
"This is what happens when a balloon meets a power line," explained Alison Trouy from We Energies. "If a balloon comes into contact with a power line, the line itself can snap and come down. It can be a very dangerous situation."
Residents who experienced the outage said they heard the explosion before their lights went out.
"It was a large bang… louder than a gunshot… like lightning," said Kris Kleinbeck, who lives in the affected area. "It was right outside my window. There were several large explosions, and then the power went down."
For some, the issue goes beyond just losing electricity—it’s also an environmental concern.
"I guess I'm more worried about what happens to the balloons afterward," said Katherine Ackley, another resident. "They can harm electricity, but they also hurt wildlife. We've seen animals die from it because they think it's food."
We Energies says preventing these incidents is easy: Keep balloons indoors, tie them down, and never release them outside.
"We never want to tell people how to grieve. It's already a very difficult situation," Alison Trouy said. "But we do want people to know it can be very dangerous. We've seen videos of vigils happening right below power lines, and it just terrifies us."
And if a balloon does get caught in power lines? Never try to remove it yourself—call We Energies immediately.
As Alison Trouy puts it: "Everyone loves balloons. But when you're done with them, pop them and throw them away."
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
