California house fire that killed dog caused by meteorite, witnesses claim
A fire that destroyed a California home and killed a dog may have been caused by a meteorite.
The fire was reported around 7:25 p.m. on Friday night in rural Nevada County, about 60 miles north of Sacramento.
“I started to smell smoke and I went on to my porch and it was completely engulfed in flames,” homeowner Dustin Procita told KCRA after hearing “a big bang.”
The fire was contained within several hours, but Procita’s dog and a number of rabbits were killed.
Penn Valley Fire Department captain Clayton Thomas told NBC News that the cause of the fire remained under investigation, but that a meteorite had not been ruled out.
“That is a potential cause, but it’s too early to pinpoint one. I can say that during the incident many people approached the fire department to say they saw a potential meteor fall in that area.”
NASA confirmed a meteorite was spotted in the area on Saturday.
“Definitely feel very lucky that it was 30 feet away from me and not five,” Porcita told KCRA.
