What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a balloon static display event when the balloon was being inflated, shortly after the operator switched from the blower to the burner, a gust of wind came up and pushed the balloon causing one of the tether line anchor eye bolts to break. The balloon started to drag across the event area which was very crowed with people. The pilot was in the gondola at the time. He activated the burner to get the balloon up over the crowd to avoid injuries to persons. The envelope was not completely inflated at the time and the activation of the burner caused the bottom of the envelope to catch fire. Once the balloon was approximately 100 to 150 feet over the crowd, the pilot shut off the burner and the envelope area which was on fire, self extinguished. The balloon traveled approximately 1 mile northeast where it landed in a desert/brush area. The pilot was the only person on board and received minor injuries to his hands from landing in the brush.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A BALLOON STATIC DISPLAY EVENT WHEN THE BALLOON WAS BEING INFLATED, SHORTLY AFTER THE OPERATOR SWITCHED FROM THE BLOWER TO THE BURNER, A GUST OF WIND CAME UP AND PUSHED THE BALLOON CAUSING ONE OF THE TETHER LINE ANCHOR EYE BOLTS TO BREAK. THE BALLOON STARTED TO DRAG ACROSS THE EVENT AREA WHICH WAS VERY CROWED WITH PEOPLE. THE PILOT WAS IN THE GONDOLA AT THE TIME. HE ACTIVATED THE BURNER TO GET THE BALLOON UP OVER THE CROWD TO AVOID INJURIES TO PERSONS. THE ENVELOPE WAS NOT COMPLETELY INFLATED AT THE TIME AND THE ACTIVATION OF THE BURNER CAUSED THE BOTTOM OF THE ENVELOPE TO CATCH FIRE. ONCE THE BALLOON WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 150 FEET OVER THE CROWD, THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE BURNER AND THE ENVELOPE AREA WHICH WAS ON FIRE, SELF EXTINGUISHED. THE BALLOON TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTHEAST WHERE IT LANDED IN A DESERT/BRUSH AREA. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TO HIS HANDS FROM LANDING IN THE BRUSH.