Work to continue at Globe Life Field while cause of fire investigated, damage assessed
Work can continue at Globe Life Field, the $1.2 billion future home of the Texas Rangers, during an investigation into the fire that started at the ballpark Saturday afternoon, a spokesman for the team confirmed.
An assessment of the affected area will determine whether the blaze has derailed the timeline for completion, but that assessment will not halt construction either.
A black plume of smoke billowed through the closed retractable roof as emergency vehicles descended on the ballpark Saturday. The fire appeared to be coming from the west side of the ballpark, near what will be the left-field corner.
The two-alarm fire was contained by about 3:15 p.m., the Arlington Fire Department tweeted. No one was injured.
The fire was located and contained in the upper sections of the stadium. Manhattan Construction Group, which is leading the project, said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
“A crate of materials staged in the roof area of the Globe Life Field project caught fire,” Manhattan said in a statement. “It was quickly contained and extinguished. There were no injuries. We are investigating the cause of the fire in conjunction with the Arlington Fire Department and will release that once it is determined. We would like to express our appreciation for the Arlington Fire Department and emergency personnel for their quick response and support to this incident.”
The ballpark was 87% complete as of Dec. 5, the last media event there. March 1 is the target for completion, and the first event is a Chris Stapleton concert scheduled for March 14.
The first scheduled Rangers game is March 23, an exhibition against the St. Louis Cardinals. The first regular-season game is scheduled for March 31 against the Los Angeles Angels.
This story was originally published December 14, 2019 at 3:13 PM.
