[meteorite-list] Fire On The Mountain, Missiles In The Air

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:30 2004
Message-ID: <200203172319.PAA13820_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.zwire.com/news/newsstory.cfm?newsid=3561007&title=Fire%20on%20the%20mountain,%20missiles%20in%20the%20air&BRD=1190&PAG=461&CATNAME=Top%20Stories&CATEGORYID=410

Fire on the mountain, missiles in the air
Alamosa Valley Courier
March 16, 2002

DEL NORTE - Rio Grande County Sheriff's officers and Search and Rescue
volunteers searched the area around Frisco Creek, Rock Creek and Dog
Mountain, Friday night, attempting to locate what several citizens called
in to report as a large fireball seen falling to ground in that
vicinity. Late in the evening, NORAD (North American Air Defense Command)
confirmed there had been a missile launch out of Vandenburg Air Force Base
in New Mexico.

The reports started coming in about 7:47 p.m., according to RGSO Cpl.
Steve Trujillo. He said the first report was of "lights in the sky,
followed by an explosion with smoke," southwest of Del Norte. A check with
the Federal Aviation Administration by Trujillo reported no large planes
missing, with the only possible small plane down being in the Colorado
Springs area.

Trujillo alerted Sheriff Desi Medina to the continuing reports, and Medina
had him alert Search & Rescue at 8:10 p.m. By 10 p.m., RGSO was scouring the
area from Rock Creek and Frisco Creek, Pinos Creek to Beaver Creek, with
Search & Rescue sweeping Lime Kiln Road with "beeper detectors," designed to
locate emergency aircraft beacons. Trujillo said about 15 calls had been
received about the phenomena by RGSO, and another dozen or more by the
Colorado State Patrol dispatch in Alamosa.

It was about 10:15 p.m. when Trujillo received confirmation from NORAD
of the missile launch, and all units were told to stand down from the search.
Received on Sun 17 Mar 2002 06:19:46 PM PST