NUFORC Sighting 05138

Occurred: 1998-12-14 04:10 Local
Reported: 1998-12-15 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Redding, CA, USA

Shape: Fireball
Characteristics: Left a trail

MY BROTHER AND I WERE DRIVING SOUTH BOUND ON I5 ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES NORTH OF ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA. A HUGE WHITE/BLUEISH FIREBALL WAS SEEN AT ABOUT 400-600 FEET ABOVE GROUND AND WE FOLLOWED IT BELOW THE TREE LINE

As I was driving my brother and I to work, southbound on Interstate 5, we saw a very large fireball to the south east shooting straight down in to ground. It was very weird to see. It started out like a small flash then as the flash stretched out downward a fire ball was forming. I'd say it looked like 400-600 feet up when we noticed it and appeared to be about 3/4 of a mile away. It feel very slow in comparison to a meteor and appeared to look like an airplane falling out of the sky and burning, it fell that slow. It was close enough that I could see the "boiling" of the "flames" off of the fireball. We tried to gauge the distance and size in comparisons to cars or trucks on the highway as we continued to work. It was much bigger then a semi truck coming at you at around 3/4 mile away. It was similar to a meteor color of white with a blueish tenge to it.

Posted 1999-01-28