Actually the tube arced. This usually happens when the tube has aged out, or has been damaged. The usual culprit is a sort of paint on the cathode of the tube, which can flake off, and it is conductive. This is the genesis of the arcing.
I would replace the tube and see how the amp behaves. In some amps, the arcing can cause resistors in the amp to be damaged, in which case the amp might not work correctly when the tube is replaced (it won't bias up, the tube might turn cherry red or it might sound distorted). If you can set the bias that's good; play it and see how it sounds. If that's OK, the amp is OK and you just need to be sure that your tubes are biased correctly.
This can happen even if the tubes were biased correctly, since its a function of the condition of the cathode coating and not really anything else (although if over-biased can lead to failure).
I would replace the tube and see how the amp behaves. In some amps, the arcing can cause resistors in the amp to be damaged, in which case the amp might not work correctly when the tube is replaced (it won't bias up, the tube might turn cherry red or it might sound distorted). If you can set the bias that's good; play it and see how it sounds. If that's OK, the amp is OK and you just need to be sure that your tubes are biased correctly.
This can happen even if the tubes were biased correctly, since its a function of the condition of the cathode coating and not really anything else (although if over-biased can lead to failure).