VIDEOS: Wednesday marked 10 years since a fire ripped through what was then Fifth Third Ballpark, forcing the West Michigan Whitecaps to overhaul their plans for the season and rebuild on the fly, all while welcoming fans to the field.
The fire started late in the morning on Jan. 3, 2014. Investigators determined that a space heater used by a work crew inside one of the suites along the first base line started the blaze. Something from the heater ignited a nearby trash container. Then the sprinkler system failed thanks to a stuck valve.
In all, nine suites were destroyed, along with the home clubhouse and parts of the concourse. Even the suites that were spared required some major work to clean up the smoke damage.
Firefighters said there were two key problems that prevented them from doing more to save the structure: frigid temperatures and not enough fire hydrants.