With Valentine's Day around the corner, FirstEnergy is reminding its customers to handle helium-filled foil balloons with caution.

That's because foil balloons are considered hazardous to the electric system because when released outdoors, their metallic coating conducts electricity.

Here are some safety tips to keep in mind when handling foil balloons:

  • avoid celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines,
  • securely tie all helium-filled metallic balloons to something heavy to prevent them from drifting away,
  • puncture and deflate metallic balloons once they are no longer in use,
  • do not ever attempt to retrieve any balloon, kite, or toy that is caught in a power line, and
  • stay far away from downed or low-hanging power lines and report them by calling 911.

Last year, FirstEnergy reported a total of 108 power outages across their service area from foil balloons.