Object Falling From Space Caught On Video, Destroys Man’s Home And Kills His Dog

A falling object from space sadly destroyed a man's home and killed his dog in Nevada.

By Charlene Badasie | Updated

Officials in Northern California are investigating an incident in which a bright ball of light, which seemed to come from space, is a meteorite that destroyed a house in Nevada County. Witnesses from all over the region followed the light to see where it landed. And sadly, its path might have led to a home that was occupied at the time.

Speaking to NBC’s KCRA news outlet, Dustin Procita said was inside the house with his dogs when something hit his home and started a fire. “I heard a big bang,” he told the publication. “And 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, so it was easy for people to follow the path of the alleged space debris.

Nevada County is home to multi-generational cattle farmers and ranchers. On the night his house was destroyed, Procita had just fed the cows and was listening to music on his couch when the space rock hit his home. Fortunately, he managed to save his rat terrier dog. He tried to go back inside for his other beloved canine, but couldn’t save him. The dog perished in the fire.

interstellar object

“I tried to go around to the windows but fire and smoke were dumping through and I couldn’t see inside,” Procita explained. Captain Josh Miller of the Penn Valley Fire Department said they received a call at about 7:30 pm for a structure fire caused by possible space debris. But due to the secluded location, he knew they would have a massive 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 team, along with Smartsville Fire Department and CalFire, battled the flames for several hours. While it seems like the bright ball of light captured by car and home videos landed in the middle of nowhere, Procita believes a space 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 told KCRA news.

However, Miller said he didn’t see the bright space ball in the sky. “Everyone I talked to said it was a flaming ball falling from the sky and it landed in that general area,” he explained. Additionally, people who arrived on the scene were curious to see if a meteorite caused the fire. “I had one individual tell me about it first and I put it in the back of my mind. But then more people started coming in and talking about it,” the Fire Department Captain explained.

Meanwhile, Procita and his wife say they will pick up the pieces, knowing that the universe may have been on their side when the supposed space debris hit their home. “They said it’s a one in four trillion chance, so I guess I might be buying a lottery ticket today,” Procita told the publication of his survival. According to law enforcement, it will take about two weeks to determine the cause of the fire.

Interestingly, Northern California is currently experiencing Taurid meteor showers with the peak taking place on Saturday. As such, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said there will be an increase of bright balls visible in the sky.