Balloons sparked large Chelmsford brush fire, power outages
CHELMSFORD - Authorities in Chelmsford are warning residents that the seemingly harmless act of releasing balloons into the sky can have dangerous consequences.
Chelmsford Fire Chief Gary Ryan said the release of several foil Mylar Balloons on Memorial Day sparked a large brush fire near Harold Street - and also knocked out power to several households.
The released balloons "quickly made contact with high tension powerlines," Ryan said.
"The metallic coating on Mylar balloons conducts electricity, which can cause power outages and pose a significant fire risk," he said.
Ryan said that luckily, firefighters and DCR staff quickly responded and doused the flames before they could cause further damage.
