Community

Balloon blamed for large power outage

Authorities point to a balloon being behind a massive outage in South Pandosy.

  • A balloon got caught in electrical switches
  • Caused power outages for three hours
  • Impacted 2,766 homes in South Pandosy

Multiple teams at FortisBC are working to come up with a plan to repair the remaining damage after an aluminum or foil balloon got caught in electrical switches, causing widespread power outages.

On Oct. 10, nearly three thousand homes in South Pandosy were left without power for three hours.

“We were able to remove the balloon safely and bypass the damaged switch to restore service to our customers safely and as quickly as possible,” Jas Baweja, FortisBC Corporate Communications Specialist told Kelowna 10.

FortisBC said aluminum balloons can be conductive, which causes problems with electrical switches since they’re used to isolate sections of the system and modify the amount of electricity flowing through the line.

“It’s actually quite common for things like aluminum balloons, balloons with strings, kites, wildlife or vegetation to contact our electricity system and cause power outages,” Baweja said. “For the safety of all those in the area, we always ask our customers to be mindful of overhead power lines.”

Published 2021-10-12 by Jordan Brenda

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