2 hot air balloons stopped by sheriff's deputies for flying near San Bernardino Co. homes

YUCAIPA, Calif. -- San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies stopped two hot air balloon pilots who were flying too close to homes in Yucaipa Tuesday.

Authorities said they received several 911 calls around 7:53 a.m. about two hot air balloons possibly crashing into homes in the 34700 block of Maplewood Lane.

Deputies responded to the area and spotted one blue and one green hot air balloon flying above a golf course nears homes in the Chapman Heights neighborhood. At times, the balloons came within 5 feet of rooftops and trees, according to the deputies.

Authorities were able to make contact with the two pilots and asked them to land. One landed safely at a nearby high school baseball field and another landed in an orange grove of a private home in Mentone.

Both pilots were hot air balloon enthusiasts and flew their privately owned balloons for personal use. The deputies identified the pilots and forwarded a report to the Federal Aviation Administration for further review and to note any possible FAA violations.

Authorities could not find any damages to the homes and no one was injured in the incident.

Anyone with additional information about the incident was urged to call Detective Donald Patton at the Yucaipa Police and Sheriff's Station at (909) 918-2305.