Illegal fireworks started a blaze that partially burned a baseball field in Willis Winters Park on Sunday, a Dallas Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson told KERA.
The baseball field was converted to artificial turf earlier this year as part of a $2 million project paid for by the city and Dallas ISD.
Based on its investigation, the department is classifying the fire as accidental, DFR spokesperson Jason Evans said.
Rudy Karimi, a member of the Park and Recreation Board, wrote in a Facebook post that repairs will be “complex and costly.”
“I'm heartbroken and angry to see the senseless destruction at Willis Winters Park,” Karimi wrote. “As a result, the baseball field is closed and unusable for all activities.”
Woodrow Wilson High School’s baseball team frequently used the field for practice and home games, but it’s not yet clear where it will play as students return from summer break. KERA has reached out to the school district and will update this story with any response.
“I know how much this field means to our families and the Woodrow Wilson community,” Karimi wrote. “We will continue to expedite the assessment and determine next steps.”
The fire spread in multiple directions and scorched the outfield wall before it was put out Sunday, Evans said. Firefighters found the remnants of two bottle rockets on the field after the fire was put out, prompting the investigation, Evans said.
There were no witnesses, and while there are cameras at the park, none face the outfield, Evans said.
The use of fireworks is illegal within Dallas city limits.
Dylan Duke is KERA's Breaking News Reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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