One person injured after hot air balloon at Galt festival catches fire and crashes

One person was injured after a hot air balloon at the Galt Balloon Festival caught fire and crashed in a nearby field Saturday morning, the Cosumnes Fire Department said.

The balloon wasn’t part of the main launch, according to Fire Chief Mike McLaughlin. Instead, it was tethered to the ground for people to explore.

Around 8:40 a.m., the fire department received a report that the balloon was malfunctioning, McLaughlin said.

It caught fire, became untethered and went up into the sky, he said. The balloon came crashing down hard in a nearby field, injuring the pilot, who was the only person aboard.

It’s unclear whether the malfunctioning caused the fire or the fire caused the balloon to malfunction, McLaughlin said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department are investigating.