An asteroid did not hit Murrieta, at least not yet, said a policeman about a strange bright light seen in the city Friday night.
Residents in several parts of Murrieta reported seeing a sudden burst of light in the sky at about 6:30 p.m. Friday, Murrieta police Sgt. Jay Froboese confirmed.
"We got several calls," Froboese said.
Turns out, the occurrence was caused by a mylar balloon getting tangled in a power line, Froboese said, after investigating.
It happened near the intersection of Ivy Street and Adams Avenue, according to the sergeant, who said he saw the light from where he was on Jefferson Avenue.
Froboese said he drove up to find the charred balloon hanging from the power line.
Southern California Edison warns about the dangers of mylar balloons hitting power lines.
About 882 Murrieta customers lost power for about 30 seconds Friday night during the incident, according to Vanessa McGrady, a spokeswoman for SCE.
"Balloon related outages go way up in February," McGrady said, noting this was due to well-meaning Valentine's Day gifts.
"Metallic balloons can wreak havoc," she said, which is why SCE makes it a priority to warn customers about the dangers.
