Red fireball over Moirans-en-Montagne explained as a flare in 1985

Summary

On January 26, 1985, five witnesses at different locations in Moirans-en-Montagne, in the Jura region, saw a bright red fireball cross the sky trailing a dense column of smoke. The phenomenon was striking enough to generate independent reports. The gendarmerie investigated and concluded it was most likely a maritime signal flare test-fired by a private individual. GEIPAN recorded the case despite the conventional explanation, given the initial interest it generated.