‘Heard a big bang’: California man wonders if meteorite destroyed his house
By Michelle Bandur
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NEVADA COUNTY, California (KCRA) — 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.
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.
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