California man claims meteorite that fell from sky destroyed his home 

A California man claims that a meteor fell from the sky and destroyed his home after it engulfed it in flames on Friday. 

Dustin Procita was at home with his two dogs in Nevada County, about 60 miles from Sacramento, at around 7:30 p.m. when he heard a “big bang,” he told KCRA. 

"I started to smell smoke and I went onto my porch and it was completely engulfed in flames," Procita told KCRA.

With help from the Penn Valley Department and Cal Fire, the fire was contained about three hours later, Cal Fire spokesperson Mary Eldridge told NBC News. 

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

— CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit (@CALFIRENEU) November 5, 2022

The house, a travel trailer, and a pickup truck were entirely consumed by the fire. One of Procita’s dogs also perished in the flames. 

Authorities are investigating the possibility of a meteor falling from the sky onto Procita’s home after several people across the region spotted a bright flaming ball in the sky. 

“That is a potential cause, but it's too early to pinpoint one," Penn Valley Fire Department Captain Clayton Thomas said. "I can say that during the incident many people approached the fire department to say they saw a potential meteor fall in that area."

In the days after the incident, several videos of the bright ball of fire were shared on social media. Some footage shows the flaming ball flash in the sky before falling to the ground in the distance. 

While Procita didn’t see the meteor with his own eyes, he believes the was a meteor that landed on his house given the time and the location at which it was seen. 

“I've always watched meteor showers and stuff as a kid, but I definitely didn't look forward to them landing in my yard or through my roof,” he told KCRA. 

'I did not see what it was, but from everybody I talked to—was a flaming ball falling from the sky, landed in that general area.'

The odds of being hit by a meteorite are one in four trillion, Procita said. “So I guess I might be buying a lottery ticket today," he added.