Grounds Crew Sets Fire To Baseball Field To Dry It

"It seemed like a good idea at the time" is a phrase that doesn't bode well. But rarely has there been so obviously not a good idea as burning a baseball field with diesel fuel to dry it out after it rains.

That's exactly what the local baseball association in St. Albert's (Alberta) did. And yes, it's Canada. If you already guessed that, so did everyone else.

"What usually takes a day, day and a half for Mother Nature to take care of, we did in half an hour," Gerry Peterson said after his crew spread diesel fuel on the field and ignited it last week.

I can't think of any possible repercussions from something like that. Except, you know, contaminating the field with fuel. Which, wouldn't you know it, is just what happened. The field was shut down by the town as an environmental risk, and won't be available for the rest of the season.

But the field's totally dry now.

Baseball season goes up in flames [CBC]