Man thinks meteorite hit home after some in California see ‘bright ball fall from sky’

A man in a California town believes a meteorite destroyed his home, causing it to catch fire after he heard a “big bang,” he told news outlets

At about 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, the Penn Valley Fire Protection District responded to reports of a ”residential structure fire” near Lake Englebright in Nevada County, according to the fire department. After four hours, the fire was contained.

“I heard a big bang. I started to smell smoke. I went onto my porch and it was completely engulfed in flames,” Dustin Procita, the man who believes his home was struck by the meteorite, told KCRA.

The house was destroyed and the family’s dog, Tug, got trapped inside, according to a GoFundMe page.

Fire Captain Josh Miller talked to witnesses in the area who said they saw the bright ball of light fall from the sky and land in the general area, according to KCRA.

“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,” Miller told KCRA.

The ball of light happened near the peak of the Taurid meteor shower, according to Space.com. Scientists thought fireballs could be seen during this year’s peak, according to the news outlet.

“2022 might be a particularly good year for Taurid fireballs as the American Meteor Society suggests a notable increase in fireball activity every seven years,” Space.com reported. “As 2015 produced incredible Taurid fireballs, 2022 might be next.”

Miller said the investigation will take about two weeks to determine the cause of the fire, according to KCRA.

Nevada County is about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.

This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Man thinks meteorite hit home after some in California see ‘bright ball fall from sky’."