University of Florida's Football Stadium is On Fire [UPDATE]
By Liam McKeone
The University of Florida is set to kick off their college football season in two weeks. In the meantime, they have some stuff to figure out with their stadium, because on Saturday afternoon it literally caught on fire.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, more commonly known as The Swamp, was captured in the below video with smoke billowing out of it.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is on Fire. On Stadium Road. #gainesville #uf #florida #gators pic.twitter.com/zn34zVX3QU
— Doves Cry Too (@dovescrytoo) September 12, 2020
Fire department has now pulled up pic.twitter.com/3P3tpcKwAg
— Doves Cry Too (@dovescrytoo) September 12, 2020
GFD seems to be entering the second level via fire ladder. pic.twitter.com/jKQDW4L1d0
— Doves Cry Too (@dovescrytoo) September 12, 2020
Man. That's pretty insane. Similar to when the Texas Rangers' ballpark caught aflame, it is confusing as to how a stadium made of concrete can catch on fire, but here we are. Hopefully nobody is hurt and they put it out quickly.
That's 2020 for you.
UPDATE: Yahoo!'s Pete Thamel reports the actual stadium did not catch on fire, but rather a golf cart inside the stadium. That must have been quite a golf cart to cause that much smoke.
Source: The fire at The Swamp, University of Florida’s venerable football stadium, has been put out. It was caused by a golf cart that caught on fire and is not believed to be structural.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 12, 2020
Thamel got later clarification that it was a maintenance cart, not a golf cart.
Source clarifies that it was a maintenance tractor, not a golf cart, that started the fire at The Swamp at the University of Florida. The fire is out. https://t.co/1nuftUwAVD
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 12, 2020
UPDATE 2: Local reporter Claudia Bellofatto provided further details. UF said the main cause was a dumpster fire. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
UPDATE: GFR and University of Florida has confirmed: it was a dumpster fire on the 3rd level. No one was injured and the the fire has been contained.
— Claudia Bellofatto (@CBellofattoTV) September 12, 2020