Bright flame and black smoke with no identified source in Bourges

Summary

On October 26, 1980, a witness in Bourges observed flashes in the sky from his property, reminiscent of an aircraft's rotating beacon, followed by a very bright flame and a cloud of black smoke — all in complete silence. Suspecting an air accident, he contacted the nearest control tower. However, the gendarmerie found no aircraft in distress nor any rocket launches in the area. There were no other witnesses, and the case remains unexplained due to the lack of additional information.