Balloon sparks power outage in Kissimmee, KUA says
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A balloon left at a cemetery grave was responsible for knocking out power to nearly 1,400 homes and businesses in Kissimmee around noon on Thursday, the Kissimmee Utility Authority reported.
Officials said the balloon was attached to a floral arrangement at Osceola Memory Gardens on Old Boggy Creek Road. It broke free and made contact with nearby high-voltage power lines, affecting 1,354 customers. The balloon caught fire after contact ith the wires.
The helium-filled balloon was made of Mylar, a metalized nylon substance. Once it came into contact with the lines, it caused sparks and the subsequent outage.
KUA crews were able to put out the fire and service was restored 20 minutes later. They ask that you secure any metallic balloons with a weight heavy and never release them outside. If one of these balloons, or any foreign object gets tangled in power lines, call KUA at 407-933-9898, to report the problem.