After a second day of investigation, emergency personnel are no closer in determining the source of a hole reported early Monday morning in Midway with an orange flame shooting 10 to 12 feet into the air for about 45 minutes.
Baxter County Office of Emergency Services Director Jim Sierzchula said late Tuesday he and Midway Fire Chief Donald Tucker are still scratching their heads as they pursue all possible avenues to solve the mystery.
Sierzchula says there remains lots of speculation, but they are no closer to determining the source of the substance leading to the fire or what caused the opening in the ground near the base of a large billboard.
He says they have now ruled out any issues related to telephone lines.
Sierzchula says he is continuing to search for the history of the property where a former gas station was located nearby.
Earlier he said an employee of Black Hills Energy responded to the scene, reporting temperature readings of 1,200-1,600 degrees but confirming the source of the flame was not a gas line.
Sierzchula said he has been in contact with the National Weather Service pursuing the possibility of a lightning strike. However, photos from the NWS do not appear like the Midway hole.
Sierzchula said he has contacted the property owner who advised he had mowed in the area over the weekend and the hole was not there at that time.
Some have speculated perhaps the hole is the site of a meteor strike. But at this time, the hole and the fire remain a mystery.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI