Posted on 11/06/2022 2:00:59 PM PST by nickcarraway
The Taurids meteor shower was set to peak this weekend but it's unclear what caused the house fire
Northern California officials are looking into if the bright ball of light seen in the sky Friday night is a meteorite that landed on and destroyed a Nevada County home.
Witnesses came from all over the region following the path of the bright ball in the sky to see where it landed and that path might have led to Dustin Procita's home. He was inside the house with his two dogs when he said something hit his home and started a fire.
"I heard a big bang," he said. "I started to smell smoke. I went onto my porch and it was completely engulfed in flames."
Procita lives in a quiet, rural area of rolling hills where cattle graze.
He said the area is home to multi-generational cattle farmers and ranchers. He had just fed the cows and sat on the couch listening to music when it hit his home.
He managed to save his rat terrier dog and tried to get back inside for his other family dog, but couldn't save him. The dog died in the fire.
"I tried to go around to the windows but fire and smoke was dumping through and I couldn’t see inside," Procita said.
Penn Valley Fire Department Captain Josh Miller said they had a call around 7:30 p.m. for a structure fire but because of the secluded location, knew they would have a firefight on their hands.
"Wide, open spaces and this was out on a farm, a cattle ranch area with not much around it," Miller said.
His firefighters, along with Smartsville Fire Department and CalFire, battled the flames for several hours.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Friday at 7:26 pm, CAL FIRE responded with Penn Valley FPD to a Residential Structure Fire near Lake Englebright. E2354 arrived first reporting a well involved trailer and vehicle, with no threat to vegetation. The fire was contained, committing resources for approx. 4 hours. pic.twitter.com/WPfjtZcLj8
It appears the bright ball of light captured on car and home videos landed in the middle of nowhere. Procita believes a meteor landed on his house.
"I always watched meteor showers as a kid but I didn't want them landing in my yard or through my roof," he said.
Miller said he didn't see the bright ball in the sky.
"Everyone I talked to said it was a flaming ball falling from the sky and landed in that general area," Miller said.
Miller said witnesses started arriving on the scene and are looking into if a meteorite caused the fire in the rural area.
"I had one individual tell me about it first and I put it in the back of my mind but then more people — 2, 3, 4 — started coming in and talking about it," he said.
Procita and his wife said they will pick up the pieces and realize maybe the odds are in their favor.
"They said it's a one in four trillion chance so I guess I might be buying a lottery ticket today," Procita said.
This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Miller said it will take about two weeks to determine the cause of the fire.
Taurid meteor showers are currently happening in the area, with the peak taking place on Saturday. NASA said there will be an increase of bright balls visible in the sky.
If he can find the meteor he can probably get enough for it to build a new house.
Find the meteor under the house. They are worth lots of money and if large enough stoney or metal it could pay for the damages or more.
Do all meteorites belong to the government?
We had one go right overhead in my territory in AZ about 4 hours ago...Looked like a fast moving welding arc.
Could have been Chinese space junk reentering the atmosphere. Some bigger pieces do make it to ground. Hope he has good insurance.
We ( my dad, brother and hay guy) had one fly over our heads in the middle of the afternoon one day several years ago....we were all like ‘what the...? “
We heard it burning up.
Does he have meteorite insurance?
Sucks about the dog. House burning down sucks too.
Prudential - Get a Piece of the Rock
Two men seen running from meteorite destroyed house ?.
The one we saw today was out of the southwest heading northeast across Arizona. It really lit up...
Good one. Rock on!
Got hit right in the head by a small meteorite a few years ago.
Turns out I was walking under a walnut tree.
Alcohol involved? Yeah maybe...
He might need to, does a typical homeowners policy pay out on a meteorite or space debris? I can see it being an “Exclusion”. Yeesh
In the picture it looks like a UFO.
There is a newer name for them?
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