Nineteenth Winter Explosion: Billings, Montana Explosion In The Sky

'Explosion in the sky' above Billings Montana where Chinese spy balloon was spotted infiltrating U.S airspace - as residents report seeing jet zoom by after officials came under fire for refusing to shoot it down 

An explosion in the sky over Billings Montana, where a Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the region, was caught on camera Friday. Mysterious video of the aftermath shows a trail of smoke in the sky where the balloon was last spotted. Dolly Moore, who took video of the scene, said she 'saw a jet go by so fast and then explosion in the sky.' As the video spread on social media, Defense officials have said the balloon over Montana has not exploded. It comes after the US State Department called the balloon, which was traveling over U.S. airspace at 60,000 feet, a 'clear violation' of U.S. sovereignty, but said it wouldn't be shot down because it was flying over a 'number of sensitive sites.' US officials had said that the balloon is large enough that destroying it would rain down debris, risking the safety of people on the ground. Analysts said the balloon is about the size of 'three buses' and could be fitted with high-tech equipment including cameras, sensors and radar. F-22 fight jets were mobilized to track the device as it hovered over Montana, which borders Canada, on Wednesday. A US defense official said it entered US airspace 'a couple days ago' but its exact location was not shared. Montana Senator Steve Daines, however, warned that the balloon might have been targeting his state's nuclear missile fields. 'Montana plays a vital national security role by housing nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom AFB,' Daines wrote to the Department of Defense. 'Given the increased hostility and destabilization around the globe aimed at the United States and our allies, I am alarmed by the fact that this spy balloon was able to infiltrate the airspace of our country and Montana.' Source