HOT AIR BALLOON KNOCKED OVER A PWR POLE CAUSING A PWR OUTAGE.

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LAUNCHED AT XB15 PM AFTER RECEIVING A FLT BRIEFING AT XA00 AM. BRIEFING SAID 12000 FT SCATTERED CLOUDS; 20000 FT CEILING; AND CIRRUS CLOUDS ABOVE. WINDS WERE 220 DEGS AT 6 KTS ON SURFACE AT CENTENNIAL. WINDS ALOFT FORECAST 9000 FT 320 DEGS AT 19 KTS; 12000 FT 320 DEGS AT 23 KTS; BUILDING JUST E OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH WINDS TO INCREASE TO THE E. 20 MINS AFTER LAUNCH; WENT 1/2 MI FROM LAUNCH; ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. PROCEEDED E AND S OVER POPULATED AREA LOOKING FOR A LNDG SITE. MADE NUMEROUS APCHS TO FIELDS AT LOW LEVELS AND ENCOUNTERED THERMAL ACTIVITY OR POSSIBLY MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY. CONTINUED S AND E LOOKING FOR LARGE AREA TO LAND. ENCOUNTERED VERY SEVERE DOWNDRAFT FROM ABOUT 1300 FT AGL. WITH BOOMER FULL ON; WAS STILL DSNDING. BEFORE LEVELING OUT; CONTACTED A TREE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TREE WAS A PWR POLE WHICH WE UPROOTED AND CAUSED A PWR OUTAGE. POLE FELL INTO A WOODEN FENCE; NO OTHER DAMAGE; AND THEN I FLEW ON. FINAL LNDG SPOT WAS FOUND ABOUT 1 1/2 MI AWAY. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO LAND ACFT. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO ACFT. POLICE DEPT WAS ON SCENE AND A RPT WAS MADE. RETURNED TO THE POLE INCIDENT SITE AND SPOKE TO THE OWNER OF FENCE AND AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. NTSB WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF SIT. I WAS ADVISED THAT IF NOT CONTACTED BY FAA THAT EVENING; THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE NECESSARY.