* Astronomy

I was on the beach in front of the Topaz Motel that night, was a sober witness at "ground zero" of the "fireball" event.  Some guy was in fact setting off Chinese Sky Lanterns; basically small tissue paper hot-air balloons fueled by a candle/flame which sends them upward several hundred feet and keeps them aglow for about 10 minutes.  I watched them go up, slowly drift over the pier [and in front of the bars from which the reports came], then fade away as a tiny red spark high above the ocean.  I can't imagine how anyone could discribe them as a bright flash, meteor, UFO, or an airplane going down in flames...other than considering the time and source of reports; i.e. 11p.m. from a bar on the beach.    As to the image of the bright white fireball which was photoshopped onto the Flagler Beach article; I'd think it pretty obvious that it was a fake.  Consider the source, and that the image is identical to many other "sitings".  Also, it appears to have been taken from where I was watching the sky lanterns drift away over the ocean...I'm sure I would have noticed a huge white flame crashing down over the pier while I was tracking the route of a small red glowing orb.  Just sayin'...