Barbecue Ignites Blaze At Chargers Game

WRAL .com ^ | August 22, 2005

[Cowman]

Barbecue Ignites Blaze At Chargers Game POSTED: 11:17 pm EDT August 22, 2005 UPDATED: 11:17 pm EDT August 22, 2005 SAN DIEGO -- The smoldering coals of a tailgate barbecue ignited a fire that destroyed six vehicles in the parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium during a Chargers exhibition game, authorities said. The blaze also damaged four other nearby vehicles. Shortly after kickoff of the exhibition game Sunday between the Chargers and the St. Louis Rams, the hot coals of a barbecue left in front of a Ford Mustang ignited cars that had been parked together. A column of black smoke rose into the air, and the smell of burning tires wafted over the grandstands. Some cars were left sitting on their rims. Shattered glass lined rows between the burned vehicles. Fenders were melted away. Police Sgt. Ray Mattuck said there was no doubt the fire had been started by a barbecue. By halftime, arson investigators were searching through the ashes. The investigators were expected to determine if charges would be filed, firefighters said.

[Cowman]

You could say the chargers are "on fire" so far this preseason

[mylife]

The result will be to ban tailgate parties.

"drop the burger and step away from the potato salad scumbag"!

[Izzy Dunne]

Fenders were melted away.

How hot does it have to get to melt a steel fender?

How does a barbecue (presumably in a pit) in FRONT of one car ignite the tires of another car?

[pageonetoo]

How hot does it have to get to melt a steel fender?

I don't know, but my four yr old grandson can probably punch a hole through one, with his fist...

The cars have as much plastic on them, as steel....

[chainsaw]

How hot does it have to get to melt a steel fender?

Not all fenders are steel. I know pontiac has flexable fromt fenders because I own one.

[Paulus]

When did they start making bumpers out of steel again?

[garyhope]

Or that they were toast. Or burnt out.

[L,TOWM]

An identical incident happend a few years at a Bolts regular season game.

Some idiot pushed a hibachi under his car and went inside the stadium. A few cars up in flames and you could see the smoke blowing into the stadium. Mid to late '80's this happened, IIRC.

[AFreeBird]

How hot does it have to get to melt a steel fender?

I suspect the writer, a crack reporter, a product of our public educational system, was thinking of the fascia covering the bumper.

[dennisw]

Some one obviously got liquored up and didn't put out his BBQ fire properly.

[dennisw]

Coals left in tailgate barbecue are blamed

By Lola Sherman
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

August 22, 2005

NANCEE E. LEWIS / Union-Tribune

Firefighters Bill Gall (left) and Chuck Adams helped extinguish a fire started by smoldering coals in a tailgate barbecue yesterday in the parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium

There are concrete barrels with the words "Hot Coals" emblazoned on them in red around the Qualcomm parking lot. One was located a half-dozen car lengths from the smoldering barbecue.

From the stands, Sam Mason of San Diego saw that one of the vehicles on fire appeared to be his Ford Explorer, so he left the stadium at halftime to check it out.

He was right.

"I don't even like the Chargers," Mason said. "I tried to sell these tickets. I only bought them because you have to to get tickets to the (Pittsburgh) Steelers game."

The Chargers frequently require fans to purchase a package rather than a single-event ticket.

"I just got it paid off," said William Dorsett of Menifee, as he rested his head in his arms after surveying the damage to his white Mustang. It was parked between Mason's SUV and a Dodge Dakota belonging to Al Crisp of Temecula.

Crisp, who works for a firm compiling game statistics, said there were no other cars in the section of the lot when he parked at 10 a.m.

Dorsett and Mason said they had noticed the barbecue when they parked, but hadn't paid that much attention. Dorsett remembered corn on the grill.

Germaine Julius of Imperial Beach, still tailgating in the parking lot at halftime, said police on horseback did a good job of escorting firefighting equipment to the scene at about 1:30 p.m. Officials said they had the fire out within 15 minutes of the first call.

[dennisw]

The crack reporterette's name was Lola Sherman.

[Iscool]

No fire extinguishers or fire hydrants...All they had was 30,000 gallons of Budweiser...And no one would part with their Budweiser to douse the fire...

[Shazbot29]

here's one fer ya! :)

[Hatteras]

"How does a barbecue (presumably in a pit) in FRONT of one car ignite the tires of another car?"

They are in a parking lot, you wouldn't have a "pit". I'm sure they are investigating whether somebody kicked over the Weber Grill, bouncing red-hot coals beneath the cars, or whether it was blown over in the wind? Perhaps, they left the grill between four cars to burn out and somebody came running along, late for the game, rushing between all the cars and slammed into the grill knocking it over? The latter would be my guess.

[Cowman]

And no one would part with their Budweiser to douse the fire...

Why didn't they drink the beer and use their bodies as fire trucks?

[battlegearboat]

Let's face it folks, Californians just don't know how to barbeque.

[Drawsing]

You mean you want them to tee-tee on the cars?

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[cyborg]

"I just got it paid off," said William Dorsett of Menifee,

** That sucks.