Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) reported Monday morning a power outage impacting more than 12,000 customers in Albuquerque after a hot air balloon hit a power line near Midtown.
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta spokesperson Tom Garrity said the incident happened at 2204 Menaul Boulevard NE, near Stripes Burrito Co. The pilot was flying solo and there were no injuries, he said.
At about 8 a.m., a balloon bumped a transmission line but did not get entangled, according to PNM spokesperson Eric Chavez.
The outage affected the area between Montaño Road on the north, Menaul Boulevard on the south, Edith Boulevard on the east and Rio Grande Boulevard on the west, Chavez said. The outage lasted for an hour and a half.
At about 9:30 a.m., PNM posted on X that power had been restored for all customers impacted.
The balloon that hit the power line was the Glorious Drifter, according to Garrity.
Chavez advised the public to take precautionary measures in similar situations.
“If you see a balloon come in contact with a power line, stay away,” Chavez said.
He said people should stay 100 feet or more away from anything that has come in contact with a power line and always assume that power lines are energized.
“If you see something, say something,” Chavez said. “Call 911, call PNM, so that we can know about it and get on the scene as quickly as possible.”