An Arkansas family who awoke to the smell of fire noticed a smoking hole in their deck — and they suspect a meteorite may have been to blame.
The husband said the flames had been extinguished when a corner of the family’s hot tub melted from the heat, causing it to pour water onto the deck.
Firefighters investigated the hole in the deck and were unable to identify the likely cause, other than that it appeared the fire had started from the ground.
Family members said they sorted through the debris with a magnet and found a small magnetic rock in the hole left by the fire.
The family suspects the rock might be the remains of a meteorite, but to confirm their suspicions it would have to be examined by the U.S. Geological Survey, a process that can take well over a year to complete.
