A man who lives on the north side of the city, however, claims he's responsible.

The man, who did not want to be identified, told 3TV that he used fishing line to attach road flares to helium-filled balloons, then lit the fares and launched them a minute apart from his back yard.

A Phoenix Police Department helicopter pilot who witnessed the lights said they appeared to be flares, possibly hanging from one or more helium balloons.

Witnesses said the lights initially appeared to be in a straight line, then formed a square and then a triangle before disappearing.

The man interviewed, who asked not to be identified, said he believed turbulence created by a passing jet caused the balloons to move around.

ORIGINAL REPORT

PHOENIX - Many Valley residents reported seeing mysterious red lights in the sky over the north Valley Monday night.

Some said they could be seen for miles, leaving many to wonder what was going on.

Those who saw the four lights said they randomly appeared. Some said the lights made shapes, a stright line, a square and a triangle. The lights reportedly were visible for between 15 and 30 minutes at about 8 p.m.

The cause remains a mystery this morning.

According to Deer Valley Airport and air traffic controllers at Phoenix Sky Harbor, no planes were on the radar, although people at both locations reportedly saw the lights

Luke Air Force Base said it had no operations in the air at the time the lights were seen. NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) also confirmed no activity on its radar Monday night.

Some Valley residents said the lights might have been a UFO.

"It was really close to the star and when it would go really close, and then go fast far away," said Annie Braslawsce. "It was just unbelievable. I thought it was the coolest thing. It was pretty intense."

Monday night's sighting comes about a month after the 11th anniversary of the famed Phoenix Lights, when thousands of people reported seeing several lights in a V formation hovering over the city. The Air Force eventually said those lights were flares, but not everybody believes that explanation.

What people were saying about seeing the lights ...

Tell the man who created this light show to repeat it so he can have a larger audience and charge admission. This is a money maker!

I am sure they are UFO's & are out there and they are here to lend a hand not to hurt anyone. No matter what our government tells us, they want to be noticed and acknowledged and they are non threating. I say "welcome", do you? After all they are a lot higher evolved than we are.

Perhaps this one was of terrestial origin, how ever that shouldnt discredit millions of sightings world wide over the last 50 years that were infact of extraterrestrial origin, you want your proof, go to disclosureproject.org they have the eyewitness testimony of over 500 military, government and intellegence officials with thier name, rank, serial number, DD-214s(discharge papers) and the documents to prove they were either directly involved in the cover up, or they have had first hand encounters with UFO's themselves.

Too geometric in movement, no visable strobing.. hard to say, i'd say the flare story was a MIB coverup lol

why would an alien ship need outside lights on their ship? if they are here then their technology is greater than ours and i doubt they need outside lights on their craft. I can understand lights that are a by product of their fuel/engine. I wish it were a ufo, but it doesn't seem that there is one involved in this instance.

the man didn't want to be identified??? Why? Sounds like a cover up to me.

This guy claiming he hoaxed it with flares could be a hoax himself. Some guy just trying to get his 15mins of fame or even put up to it to discredit the sighting. Unless he can repeat it he is a liar. Those formations would be very difficult to do by a single man and flares. Make him prove it.