Bakersfield, Calif, March 1948 - Incident Number: 108March 1948

On March 13, 1948, several residents in Bakersfield, California reported seeing a fiery object in the sky. One witness, a man identified in the file only as "informant," observed the sighting around 8:30 a.m. from about five miles north of Bakersfield. He described it as a large orange-red ball of fire, somewhat larger than a small airplane.

The object appeared to hang still in the sky for roughly thirty seconds, then split apart and continued burning as separate pieces. According to the witness, what looked like a parachute with a black object attached then drifted eastward into the hills beyond Bakersfield. Two other observers, also in the area that morning, reported seeing a flaming object with orange-red flames and considerable black smoke trailing behind it in a zigzag pattern. They estimated the object was about five thousand feet above ground, roughly seven to ten miles north of Bakersfield, and watched until it disappeared behind a water tower.

The Bakersfield Sheriff's Office investigated the reports and contacted the Fourth Air Force. The Air Force headquarters in Hamilton Field, California noted in their summary that while there was no hard evidence, investigators believed the sighting could be attributed to marker flares, which are signal devices sometimes used in military or rescue operations. The file also notes that it is "extremely unlikely that this object was of astronomical origin."

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 8 pages.