See What’s Created When Lightning Hits Rocks or Sand…Wow!

Most of the time, when lightning hits something, we just see what it does to power lines, or maybe a building or other structure, or maybe a tree in the forest. But what's created when a bolt hits the ground?  (images in our story courtesy of Patrick Meyers- National Park Service).

  Ever heard of Petrified Lightning?

The US Forest Service, Kittitas County Sheriff's Office, and Department of Natural Resources say the Big Lake Fire that began September 5th near Cle Elum was triggered by a lightning strike.

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The fire has since been contained and is out, but investigators have located the actual pinpoint of where the lightning struck, and have retrieved what's called Petrified Lightning.

It's very fragile and very rare, but according to DNR Senior Fire Investigator Bruce Long, it occurs when a bolt hits a rock or rocks, or sand, and the superheated blast of electricity actually creates a 50,000-degree split-second 'zap.'

It's so hot, it petrifies or fossilizes whatever was in its path, and creates what's called a Furgurite or Petrified Lightning. It happens a lot, but rarely is the actual flash point ever located in one piece.

This piece of Petrified Lightning will be studied by researchers, who say they can learn a lot about the effects such powerful electricity has on various objects, as well as how it's conducted and more.