Phoenix lights hoax concerns fire officials

by Andy Harvey - Apr. 23, 2008 05:21 PM
12 News

Online reaction to Phoenix lights

Phoenix firefighters and some residents are concerned.

A north Phoenix man claims he created Monday’s Phoenix lights using road flares and balloons. The unidentified man said he used fishing line to attach the flares to helium-filled balloons. He said he then launched them from his backyard. A neighbor told 12 News he saw the balloons with the flares go up.

Now fire officials and residents said the flares could have created a fire.

Resident Mike Dowhie said, "Doing something like that, sending it off to somewhere… you have no idea where it's going to go, what the conditions were like. The last thing we need is some wide spread fire in the Valley."

Officials with the Phoenix Fire department said they looked into whether any laws were broken, but so far have not found any. They said there are laws governing fire works, but none when it comes to flares tied to balloons that are released into the sky.

Meantime, authorities with the Phoenix Police Department said they are not investigating and would not comment on whether any laws were broken.