A family that was setting off model rockets inadvertently sparked a fast-moving grass fire that seriously damaged a park housing several athletic fields in Topsfield, Massachusetts, fire officials said.
The Topsfield fire chief said the incident showed the extreme fire danger as parts of the region experience severe drought. Wednesday's blaze left parts of several baseball fields charred and black, and several teams have had to reschedule games. Topsfield fire and rescue said they received a 911 call at 12:42 p.m. Wednesday from a person who was at Pye Brook Park with his family using model rockets. He said an accident had occurred, resulting in a grass fire that was spreading rapidly across the field.
"It was wild to see," said Bill King, whose team was played on the field just a few days ago, and has had to move games since.