Meteor Lights Up Skies, Switchboards

One man said it looked like an airplane crashing. Another person swore it was a bright flare in the ocean. Yet another believed it was a big blue light.

The object that lit up the skies at 7:50 p.m. Tuesday turned out to be a crashing meteor. Police and fire official around Orange County received at least a dozen calls from concerned citizens who saw bolide light, the term used to describe a shower involving a single meteor.

San Clemente police received three calls. Four police departments called the Orange County Harbor Patrol to get information about the incident.

“People weren’t frightened . . . they just thought it was unusual and something they should report,” said Bill Davis, a San Clemente police dispatcher.