How Did This Ladder Melt The Ground? A recent incident captured on video shows asphalt violently bubbling and charring, likely caused by a metallic ladder falling onto a live power line and creating a conductive path to ground. Despite the dramatic surface damage, the ladder remains largely intact. This can be explained by the difference in electrical resistance: aluminum, a highly conductive material, allows current to flow with minimal heating, whereas asphalt and concrete offer much higher re