Las Vegas Leaders Urge Balloon Safety Ahead of New Law

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Las Vegas Valley officials are urging residents to secure their helium balloons this summer, ahead of a new state law that will ban outdoor balloon releases. The law, which takes effect on Oct. 1, aims to reduce power outages caused by balloons, which have disrupted electricity for thousands in recent years.

On Saturday, NV Energy reported that a mylar balloon led to a power outage affecting 751 customers in Henderson from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. A spokesperson indicated that another outage earlier in the week may also be related to balloon releases.

The new legislation imposes a $250 fine for the intentional release of helium-filled balloons outdoors, with exceptions for indoor releases, weather balloons, or research purposes. NV Energy officials shared that over the past five years, hundreds of outages have been linked to mylar balloons, while regular balloons have also caused damage.

Councilwoman Nancy Brune, who has been a strong advocate for the legislation, emphasized the bill’s positive impact on businesses and wildlife. “We’re helping workers with this bill. We’re protecting small businesses and the business continuity, and we’re protecting our wildlife,” she said. Brune detailed instances where power outages resulted in businesses shutting down and food spoilage due to refrigeration failures.

“It’s critical to remove balloons safely, which poses risks to workers as well,” she added. In a bid to raise awareness, the city will launch a campaign in both English and Spanish this summer about the dangers of balloon releases.

Brune clarified that the law will not penalize children who accidentally release balloons, focusing instead on discouraging intentional releases during events. “We’re not trying to penalize people,” she stated. “We hope to raise awareness, so people celebrate in ways that don’t negatively impact the environment.”

The campaign aligns with efforts to protect Nevada’s wilderness, where volunteers have collected over 4,000 stray balloons that can pose hazards to local wildlife, including tortoises that sometimes ingest these materials.