PHOENIX — Arizona Public Service says balloons struck power lines twice in two days over the weekend, knocking out power to more than 8,700 homes and businesses across the Phoenix area.
APS reported that on Sunday night, a cluster of Mylar balloons drifted into a power line in Chandler, cutting power to roughly 6,000 customers. Crews restored electricity within an hour. Less than 24 hours earlier, a similar incident unfolded Saturday afternoon in Peoria, where balloons contacting a power line blacked out service for about 2,700 customers. In that case, APS was able to flip the lights back on in about a minute.
The culprit both times: the shiny, metallic coating that gives Mylar balloons their signature look…