A fire that caused a mysterious burning hole in Arkansas in September was intentionally set, authorities say, and not the result of a meteorite, methane — or work of the devil.
Baxter County authorities used soil samples to identify various flammable chemicals typically found in paint thinners where a 12-foot-tall (3.6 meter) fire spurted from a hole in the ground and burned for around 40 minutes. Authorities say it may have been a prank.
Initial speculation ranged from serious, such as a possible leaking natural gas line, to far-fetched. Officials in Midway, easily dismissed suggestions that the fire was caused by Satan or a meteorite. No faulty utility or fuel lines were found in the area.
The Arkansas National Guard analyzed three soil samples and found two solvents: toluene and xylene. Wesley Stites, chemistry and biochemistry department chair at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, said both solvents can be found in household items, including paint thinners.