By DAN ELLIOTT
Associated Press
BELLVUE, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say reports of a possible meteorite or meteor shower briefly grounded firefighting aircraft battling a central Colorado wildfire.
Meteorologist Scott Entrekin of the National Weather Service says emergency officials in Chaffee County reported a possible meteor in the skies near the Springer Fire. They briefly grounded four single-engine aircraft fighting the 1,100-acre blaze west of Colorado Springs.
Entrekin said Wednesday that the crews of 2 commercial aircraft flying over Liberal, Kan., reported what appeared to be a meteorite at 12:47 p.m. MDT. He said the Colorado sighting occurred at about the same time.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it has no confirmed reports of a meteorite. It says there were no reported disruptions to commercial airlines.
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