UFO Sighting in Idaho on July 8th 1973 – we saw what looked like a silver cigar shaped object with the front 1/3 engulfed in bright orage/yellow flames

I was traveling withe a friend from high school to see his father in Stites Idaho. I am not sure exactly where we were when we sighted this but later found out it was sighted as far south as I believe Texas and was reported all the way north through Idaho. The said it must have crashed in northern Idaho or Canada. They never reported finding it. In my 61 years I have never seen the likes. A silver looking object kinda like a plane without windows, wings, or a tail that was moving north as obseved from the west of it was on fire leaving a dark smoke trail but looking like it was traveling at near jet speeds. It kept altitude and went right to left and was observed by us for 25 to 30○ of range of sight. It was going north and didn't seem to be losing altitude. Many sightings were reported from several states but ended in upper middle Idaho. In fact I don't remember any sightings I Coer d' Lene only they were tracking through radar and lost it high Idaho or Canada. Never found crash as far as I know. Would love to know what happened. Expected it to blow up at any second but it kept on going seeming not to be affected by the fire engulfing the front third of the cigar shaped cylinder. It was the most exciting thing I ever saw. My buddy only got glimpses of it since he was driving but he saw it too. We both thought we would have learned that it crashed but they must have covered it up or it never crashed. The flames were readily visible engulfing the front ofbthe object but it kept altitude and kept speeding north. Mystery tha many people witnessed that day from Texas to northern Idaho. Help me out was it ever found?