NUFORC Sighting 21615

Occurred: 2002-01-30 21:50 Local
Reported: 2002-01-31 10:19 Pacific
Duration: 15 minutes
No of observers: 4

Location: Fortuna, CA, USA

Shape: Circle
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Emitted other objects, Changed Colo

Bright orange object once again seen over Fortuna, CA

At approximately 2150, my husband came in from outside where he was getting firewood for the woodstove. He said "What color is that thing you've seen before? I think it's outside." The object was almost directly over the house, located in the SE at about 500-1000ft in altitude, floating slowly NW. Within a few minutes, it stopped in a hover and was close enough to discern a vague gray colored triangle shaped outline behind the main point of round orange light. At this point, the object began alternately glow brighter orange and fade, then it began to kind of change in appearance. Several times the object was clearly visible as a line of small bright orange dots which would then resolve into one large orange glowing object again. It did this 'dance' at least 3 times. During the times it would again resolve into one object, smaller white sparks appeared to fall off the bottom. After approximately 12 minutes, the object began to fade in brightness and float off towards the west. Shortly thereafter, it faded altogether and since the night was clear with an almost full moon rising, the gray outline was visible clearly at this point. It picked up speed and then disappeared altogether from visibility behind some trees in the neighborhood. We then witnessed a local police patrol turn down the nearest street in the direction that the object went, and I have little doubt that the officer probably saw it too. My 15 y/o daughter who also witnessed the event was on the phone to one of her friends; her parents have a police scanner and she told my daughter that the radio traffic from the local police stated it was "balloons someone set on fire". That doesn't make sense. Helium filled balloons would not be able to stand up to the heat of any attached fire source, and this object emitted no smoke trail. Nor did it make any sound. We tried to get videotape of the incident, however, the batteries for the video camera weren't charged up. This is like the 5th or 6th time I've seen this object in various locations in the a! rea.

Posted 2002-02-22