BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Mylar balloons were outlawed in AB847, a recent legislation that was unanimously passed and then signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom. The reason for this ban was due to the balloons being a risk of causing wildfires, and power outages.
“It’s so upsetting because you know this is my bread and butter and mylars really just add so much more to balloons you know there’s a lot we can do with latex but mylars just really give that extra bit of you know happiness and sunshine when you get balloons,” said Jennifer David owner of Ballooniverse by Jennifer.
Jennifer David the owner of Ballooniverse by Jennifer has been in the balloon business for over twenty years, and she says that the recent legislation that was signed to ban mylar balloons in the state of California is unfortunate because it is the result of a lack of educating people about mylar balloons.
“The public just needs a little more education I think. Again you got to treat them like they are your children. Don’t let them go you know it’s going to cause not only some sort of power outage when they are let go and the power lines get them,” said David.
David says mylar balloons are like foil and people tend to release them for special occasions such as graduations, but that is when they can be a problem.
“When people let it go what happens is a couple of things, one of them is it can make its way to power lines and however that works out the foil balloon once it hits the power line causes a spark or an arc which then can create a fire,” said David.
Mylar balloons have also had this impact here in Kern County as officials have responded to calls of the balloons in power lines.
“They throw sparks on the ground, they can even knock the power out, so we’ve had calls that we have gone to, strange sparking from the power lines, the neighborhood has lost its electricity, there’s no power there, and you start looking through the neighborhood to investigate and sure enough you see these balloons that are wrapped around those lines,” said Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Andrew Freeborn.
Andrew Freeborn, the Public Information Officer for the Kern County Fire Department, says they have seen an increase in people using the balloons.
But it is not all gone, the law also designates the institute of electrical and electronics engineers to first develop and approve a standard for similar foil balloons that would be safer by 2027. Those balloons would have to be proven incapable of conducting electricity. All the balloons that don't meet this standard will have to be phased out by 2031 and after that violators selling them could face fines.
Since a form of foil balloons will still stick around, Freeborn says it is important to be responsible and know how to dispose of them properly.
“We just recommend individuals that are using them that they don’t let them off into the sky these helium filled balloons and when they are done with them to go ahead and pop them, deflate them and throw them away so there is no risk for them to drift away into the sky,” said Freeborn.
David says she understands the risks that the balloons can have, not just with fires, but with animals ingesting parts of the balloon too, but says, it is unfortunate that it has come down to the ban of mylar balloons here in California. She also says that she will have to adjust to the impact of this change in her balloon business.
“For me I just think things keep going. I just have to find another way, we are very crafty in the balloon business, and figure things out when we are faced with let's say helium shortages or things like that, but I don’t want to see them go,” said David.
Although this won't go into effect until 2031, David says a better solution to the problem could be the government allowing only professionals to be able to handle the balloons, educate customers, and dispose of them properly.
