◆ CASE FILEThe facts, corroborated
The Palestine Fireballs
On the night of 8 July 1947 orange balls of fire flew in a line over the Brushy Creek community of east Texas, formed a circle and moved on Palestine, where hundreds watched them wheel overhead and two men emptied a box of rifle bullets at them. The account survives as a newspaper clipping in the FBI's flying-disc file. This is the record of what was reported, not a verdict on what circled Palestine.
◆ THE SHORT VERSION
- The Palestine Fireballs is a reported UAP case in Palestine and the Brushy Creek community 15 miles north-east, Anderson County, Texas, United States, 8 July 1947, about 8:30 to 11 p.m..
- Residents reported twelve balls of fire flying in a line over Brushy Creek before they formed a circle and moved towards Palestine, Texas.
- Hundreds in Palestine reportedly watched up to three at once circling, and the county sheriff described them as orange basketballs of fire.
- Two men fired a box of .22 rifle bullets at the objects without any effect, according to the newspaper report the FBI filed.
- Searchlights reflecting off clouds were offered for similar east Texas reports that night, but the sheriff discounted a spotlight origin.
- For this case Fractured Realities holds 1 distinct source and 5 distinct claimants on its resolved list.
- The archive grades it L3 · MULTI-SOURCE — multiple independent sources attest to it.
Counts are resolved totals of what sources say, computed 2026-10-03; the reported details above are claims in the record, not findings. A record of reports, not a verdict on what happened.
EVENT DATE
8 July 1947, about 8:30 to 11 p.m.
LOCATION
Palestine and the Brushy Creek community 15 miles north-east, Anderson County, Texas · United States
COORDS
31.76°N 95.63°W
INDEPENDENCE
L3 · MULTI-SOURCE
SOURCES
1 distinct
CLAIMANTS
5
STATUS
Known from released government records
NUMBERS COMPUTED 2026-10-03 · RESOLVED COUNTS, NOT A VERDICT
