On the evening of Friday, September 26, a hot air balloon made an unexpected and dramatic descent over a residential neighborhood in Bath, sparking concern among local residents. Around 6:30 pm, neighbors rushed to their windows to witness the balloon floating precariously low above a row of terraced houses near Grosvenor Place.
One observer, living in a nearby block of flats, described how the balloon’s envelope glowed with the flames from its burner as it dipped dangerously close to rooftops. She believed the balloon was attempting an emergency landing and noted what appeared to be a small fire on board beyond the usual burner flame.
The balloon ultimately came to rest safely in Kensington Meadows, a spacious green area by the river. The witness recounted seeing two passengers quickly jump out of the basket while the pilot managed to extinguish the fire. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
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The eyewitness said, “I heard the gas first and thought it was above my flat. When I looked out, the balloon was coming down fast and nearly grazed the roofs. I’m so relieved they all made it safely down, especially since ballooning is fairly common above the city, but landing near homes is unusual.”
The balloon bore the logo of ETS Group, a construction firm headquartered in Stoke Gifford near Bristol. ETS confirmed they have checked in with the pilot and assured that all is well following the flight.