WDSU New Orleans
The aftermath of a fire that burned down the scoreboard at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns baseball stadium.
In a somewhat terrifying scene, large flames enveloped the left field wall and scoreboard of M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Friday.
The fire, which reportedly started with an advertising board in left field, eventually caught the scoreboard, which was destroyed in a matter of minutes.
Thankfully, fire crews were deployed in a timely manner and arrived before the entirety of the turf field surface could catch fire. However, the facility did suffer significant damage.
How Did Louisiana Baseball Stadium Catch On Fire?
According to fire officials, the fire started when a company had been performing iron work on the metal fence using a cutting torch and welding equipment. Investigators believe hot metal from the cutting torch ignited nearby pine needles and dry grass, causing the fire to smolder before eventually flaring up.
Fire officials also noted that the employees left the site of the fire before one of the baseball coaches noticed the blaze.
The coach and others quickly tried to put out the fire. However, it spread quickly due to dry conditions in the area.
University officials did not state how much damage the fire caused or how long it would take to repair. However, images from the scene show that almost the entirety of the scoreboard had been burned, as well as the left field foul pole and part of the wall along the third-base line.
The Ragin’ Cajuns baseball program went 41-25 this past season, reaching the Starkville Regional of the College World Series before eventually being eliminated by host Mississippi State.