Mystery surrounds block of ice that fell from the sky

Mystery surrounds block of ice that fell from the sky

OAKLAND, Calif. - Even the experts are having trouble explaining why a solid block of ice fell from the sky, crashed and left a 3-foot hole in the grass.

The ice fell at Bushrod Park in Oakland when homeowner Jacek Purat was waiting to show apartments to prospective renters Saturday. No one was injured, police said.

"It was totally amazing. ... I saw this flash, like a streak," he said. "Then I saw this explosion, like a big boom. I came over and it (the field) was all covered with ice.

"Some were this big," Purat said, making a head-size circle with his hands.

Brooks and Judith Mencher said they were standing on their back porch when they heard a sound like a rocket. "It kind of went 'whoosh!' " Brooks Mencher said.

The ice block was about the size of the hole - 3 feet wide and 2½ feet deep.

The ice was pure water, so "it didn't come from a toilet on a plane or anything like that," said Lt. Charles Glass of the Oakland Fire Hazardous Materials Team.

Such incidents are not uncommon because ice can build up on airplanes and fall as they prepare to land, said Tony Hirsch, an aviation expert.

The National Weather Service said storms haven't been violent enough to hatch a gigantic hailstone.