It happened two years ago (summer 2004). I was camping with my father in Port-Daniel Park, Canada. We wanted to go buy some chips and stuff before going to sleep. It was pitch black and I couldn't find the car's door handle (we weren't very far from the village) when for a fraction of second it seemed it was the middle of the day. I looked up fast enough to see a bright round shape in the sky dissapear. My father only realized the flash. When I told him (and some other people) what I saw, he told me it must be a summer thunder or something like that because of the heat. I'm not sure if I should believe him...

(random edit: argh I repeated myself in the description )

Bright flash...sky lights up...sounds like an Illumination Flare.

This could be Ball lightning

i agree

even more strange in the field with artillery in the Army

they fire flare Artillery shells with parachutes

lights up the sky like daytime for several seconds

helps you find your way though

yup, ball lightening or flare was my guess as well.

it was too quick to be a flare..maybe it really was a ball lightning

thank you

too quick ?

have you ever seen a military flare go off as reference ?