Gasoline dumped on Ridgefield baseball field, set ablaze

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RIDGEFIELD — A local baseball field will be closed for at least a week after someone tried to quickly dry the infield by pouring gasoline on it and lighting it on fire Saturday afternoon.

The Town of Ridgefield said on Facebook the field would be closed for testing.

Around 12:30 p.m., Ridgefield police and firefighters responded to Governor Park & Ciuccoli Field on Governor Street — the home field of the Ridgefield High School boys baseball team. The fire was lit after gasoline was poured onto the infield to “dry the field quicker.”

“A poor decision was made (and being looked into by the RPD) to ‘dry the field quicker’ and 24 gallons of gasoline was poured and set on fire,” the town posted on its Facebook page.

According to the post, the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was called in. Pete Hill, director of Public Works, was at the field with the town’s certified spill response team.

The baseball team’s game was delayed Saturday due to field conditions. The town plans to excavate the infield, place dirt in a safe container and add fresh, clean soil to the field.

The incident remains under investigation.