The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers experienced an unexpected 20-minute delay in their game on Monday night due to a power outage, and an investigation has determined the cause.
Hold onto your balloons, people.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power revealed that the power outage at Dodger Stadium was caused by a Mylar balloon. Those are the kind that are made of a foil-like substance, and they are apparently problematic if they come in contact with electrical equipment.
“That a metallic balloon can cause a power outage like the one at Dodger Stadium may come as a surprise to some, but those in the utility industry know all too well the damage one Mylar balloon can cause,” LADWP General Manager David H. Wright said. “When metallic balloons come in contact with power lines or other electrical equipment, it can melt electrical wires resulting in fires that could lead to injuries, property damage or an outage like the one that occurred last night. We have built our systems to ensure reliable power flow to major venues, but even a brief disruption in power flow can cause on-site systems to need to be reset.”
Since there was still some daylight and Dodger Stadium has a backup electrical system, the outage was only a minor inconvenience.
Here’s what the power outage at Dodger Stadium looks like. #Dodgers emergency lights are on as is the DJ which is great! pic.twitter.com/Bomgw1g6WU
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) July 31, 2018
We’ve seen power outages in the past at some of the biggest sporting events of the year, so this isn’t anything new. The fact that it was caused by a balloon, however, gives the Dodger Stadium outage its own place in power outage history.
