SMUD offers kite flying safety tips:

When flying a kite, the sky’s the limit but remember to fly with caution. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) offers these simple safety tips to help make kite flying a safe experience.

• Build or buy kites made of wood or plastic. Only use cloth for the tail.
• Fly kites in wide, open areas, away from power lines.
• Only use cotton, linen or nylon string. Never use metallic thread, wire or wire reinforced string as they can cause a fire, serious injury or death if they come in contact with energized electrical equipment.
• Only fly kites in dry weather. When kite string gets wet it becomes a stronger conductor of electricity.
• If a kite gets caught in electrical lines or falls into a substation, leave it there.Do not touch any part of the kite or string and keep everyone away.To have a SMUD employee come out to safely retrieve a kite caught in power lines or equipment, call 1-888-742-SMUD (7683). For additional electrical safety tips, visit smud.org.

Image by: Sacramento Municipal Utility District

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Disclosure: Becky Repka is employed by SMUD in Corporate Communications.