'Absolute clown show': Maryland fire department floods baseball field
A central Maryland fire department is under fire for allegedly flooding a neighboring baseball team’s field after a ball damaged a pickup truck parked by the station.
The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, a summer baseball team, shared the news on July 17, the day the field was flooded.
The team plays on a field next to a Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service station. According to players, a ball hit a pickup truck parked by the station, then fire department members sprayed gallons of water over the fence onto their baseball field.
Video shared online by player Zane Grimes shows the water as it was sprayed onto the field.
"Absolute clown show," Grimes wrote online, tagging the fire department.
The team has filed a complaint with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, as well as the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, team founder Richard O'Connor told Paste BN on July 22.
“That water has created a pond in center,” the team shared on X, formerly Twitter.
The team eventually announced that the game was canceled. They had another game scheduled for July 19, but it was canceled due to rain and field conditions, the team said.
Fire department issues apology in wake of incident
On July 18, the rescue service issued an apology to the players, teams, fans, and families impacted by the flooding.
“We understand how important this venue is to the community and especially to the young athletes who look forward to these events,” the fire department said.
Assistant Chief Daniel Ogren of the fire department told Paste BN on July 22 that a county fire truck was used in the incident, and it is still under investigation. When asked what disciplinary action for those involved, he declined to answer.
"Whether there is more than one person who was involved in it is part of that investigation," he told Paste BN. "What's going on with the employee, none of that can be spoken about because it's an ongoing investigation and it's an internal personnel matter."
As social media users got wind of the incident, they took to X to share their thoughts.
"I fully understand there are two sides to every story," wrote one user. "As a firefighter, I am horrified. Absolutely no excuse for this behavior. It is an embarrassment to our profession. If you know there is a chance your vehicle can be hit by a baseball. Park further away."
Other users pointed out that the act was a waste of resources.
Fire department working with police; Team forced to move game
The department said it is gathering information and working with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police to figure out what happened.
“While the fire station and ballfield have long shared this space as neighbors, we recognize that incidents like this can have a real impact — and we take that seriously,” the fire department added.
O'Connor, founder of the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, said on July 22 that centerfield is still wet. It’ll likely be a few more days before it’s fully dry.
The team moved its first playoff game scheduled for July 22 to a baseball field in Gaithersburg, about 18 miles northwest of their original venue, the team told Paste BN.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on Paste BN's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.