By Tim Binnall
An iconic South Carolina roadside attraction known as the 'UFO Welcome Center' is no more as a massive fire destroyed the quirky structure early this morning. Created back in 1994 in the town of Bowman, the saucer-shaped landmark was the brainchild of resident Jody Pendarvis, who used a whopping eight tons of plywood to build the eye-catching site. Standing 16 feet tall and measuring around 40 feet wide, the out-of-this-world attraction has been a fixture in the community for the last thirty years and drew a bevy of tourists as well as media outlets interested in the odd spot.
Alas, any humans or ETs with designs on visiting the UFO Welcome Center in the future will have to cancel their plans due to the decimating blaze that, according to a local media report, erupted at around 6:30 AM on Thursday morning. Despite the best efforts of multiple fire departments, the sizeable saucer structure succumbed to the inferno completely, leaving behind only a pile of smoldering debris and many fond memories. The cause of the UFO-destroying incident has yet to be determined, though Pendarvis indicated that he does not suspect that it was the work of vandals or similarly sinister ne'er-do-wells.
Showing a commendable sense of humor in the face of such a considerable loss, which included his nearby residential trailer, Pendarvis jokingly mused to a local newspaper that "maybe another UFO came by and set the fire." That said, he expressed astonishment at the size of the blaze and how quickly it managed to completely destroy the attraction. As one might imagine, the reaction of the community to the loss of the UFO Welcome Center has been one of sadness as resident Odis Harrison observed that "a lot of tourists will miss it," while Johnna Hansen called the "hilarious" landmark "a wonderful little roadside attraction and oddity."