Fire engulfs St. Albans ticket booth after Friday football game

Members of the St. Albans Fire Department respond to a fire at the ticket booth at Crawford Field on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.Photo bySt. Albans Fire Department

ST. ALBANS, W.Va. -- A fire broke out at St. Albans' Crawford Field Friday night, officials with the St. Albans Fire Department said.

The blaze, which affected the field's ticket booth, happened shortly after the Red Dragons football team's 18-12 win against the Lincoln County Panthers.

"Fortunately, most of the crowd had exited the area," St. Albans Fire Chief Lance Carney said in a statement.

A few bystanders reportedly noticed the fire and quickly called 911. Emergency officials temporarily closed MacCorkle Avenue extinguish the blaze. The street was reopened a short time later.

No injuries were reported in the incident. The fire's cause remains under investigation.

Friday's fire at Crawford Field broke out shortly after the Red Dragons football team's game against Lincoln County High School.Photo bySt. Albans Fire Department

Carney told local CBS affiliate WOWK that the ticket booth housed the electrical system that powers Crawford Field's scoreboard and lighting.

"The school board and St. Albans High School is going to have to work through that issue a little bit, but the building might be salvageable if they so choose,” he said.

Members of the county Board of Education are scheduled to gather for their next meeting at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, but school officials could call an emergency meeting before then.

The Red Dragons' next home game, which is scheduled to be played at Crawford Field, is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. It was not clear if that would still be the game’s location at the time of this writing.

In addition to the St. Albans Fire Department, units from the Nitro Fire Department, the West Side Volunteer Fire Department, the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department and the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority also responded to Friday’s fire.

Michael Ramsburg is a Kanawha County communities reporter. He can be reached at ramsburgreports@gmail.com or by calling 304-370-3067.