Red light and scorched ground at a campsite in Lormes, 1978

Summary

On the night of October 30, 1978, two young women camping in Lormes (Nièvre) heard a whistling sound at 2:30 a.m. and saw a red light from their tent for 15 to 20 seconds, accompanied by a sensation of heat on the ground. An hour later they heard another whistle but did not look outside. At dawn they found scorched ground and suspected an object had landed. The gendarmerie found no other witnesses, though a local mentioned having burned branches at the same spot a year earlier. Two similar marks aligned with a mushroom were also identified.

The campers had tried to start a fire with damp twigs and toilet paper that failed to catch properly. Wind could have reignited the paper and dry grass, producing a brief flare and heat. The fire was located between the tent and the supposed landing site, pointing toward a mundane explanation.