Balloon Drops Man in Cactus, Starts Fire
A faulty hot-air balloon landing Saturday morning resulted in a man falling into a cactus patch, about an acre of brush being burned and power being cut off to 2,000 homes in west Simi Valley for nearly 40 minutes, authorities said.
Pilot Ian Kite was attempting to land the balloon after a sightseeing tour when a gust of wind lifted the balloon, said Sgt. Will Howe of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
Kevin Cox, a ground crew member holding a line, was pulled into the air when the balloon suddenly rose. He clung to the line until he was more than 10 feet off the ground, then let go and fell into a cactus patch, suffering minor injuries, Howe said.
The balloon rose higher and the dangling ground line got caught in a power line, which snapped and fell, starting the fire, Howe said. Firefighters extinguished the fire after it had burned nearly an acre, he said. Electricity was restored to the Simi Valley neighborhood about 8:15 a.m., he said.
Kite landed the balloon a few minutes after the mishaps. He and his four passengers escaped injury.
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