Hot air balloon hits power line in SE Albuqerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A hot air balloon hit a power line Monday morning in southeast Albuquerque.

"There were a lot of balloons, then we went inside for some reason, and then my mom said, ‘what was that explosion?’ so we ran outside, and that’s when we saw it deflating in the field over there," said Salomon Gonzales, who lives near where the balloon landed.

Luckily, no injuries were reported but it was still a rough landing.

AFR’s Tom Ruiz confirmed a balloon hit the power line near Topeka Street SE and Descanso Road SE.

"The incident that occurred today, we are still looking into, but we understand that all of these items are very isolated but still raise the attention of the Balloon Fiesta safety officials," said Tom Garrity, Balloon Fiesta spokesperson. "We will be working with our pilots to make sure those situations are remedied."

Although the incidents have been isolated, they aren’t unexpected. PNM said they know the risk of ballooning and prepare for the worst during the Balloon Fiesta.

"We also have dedicated PNM line crews who are stationed offsite, away from the park but near Balloon Fiesta Park, so they are ready to respond very quickly in case something happens like a balloon hits a power line or something goes on where we would need to have our crews on site," said Meaghan Cavanaugh, PNM spokesperson.

PNM also wants to remind the public that if you see a balloon hit a power line, stay back and call 911 right away. As for the three ballons that have hit power lines in the last few days – their pilots are talking with the FAA and the balloons are getting inspected to see if they are good to fly again.