UPDATE: Balloon in power lines cause of Kelowna Thanksgiving weekend power outage

A balloon caught in power lines has caused a power outage for thousands of Kelowna residents on their Thanksgiving weekend.

The outage was reported at roughly 10:18 a.m., Oct. 10, in the South Pandosy area of the city, affecting 2,766 FortisB.C. customers.

Fortis corporate communications advisor Scott Neufeld said crews are on scene working to restore power and the outage is believed to be caused by a balloon in the lines.

Power has been restored as of 1 p.m.

Location of a large power outage in Kelowna | Credit: FortisB.C.

– This story was updated at 1 p.m. to include that power has now been restored.

– This story was updated at 12:35 p.m. to include the cause of the power outage and when it power will be restored.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.
Carli Berry

Carli Berry has been telling stories in the Okanagan for the past three years and after finding her footing in the newspaper industry, joined the Infonews team in January 2020. Recipient of the 2019 MA Murray award for feature writing, Carli is passionate about stories that involve housing, business and the environment. Born on Vancouver Island, she is happy to say Okanagan Lake reminds, her slightly, of the ocean. Carli can be reached at (250) 864-7494 or email cberry@infonews.ca.