Pyrotechnic Flame Mishap Fire Near the Tunnel on Sidelines Before Titans-Colts Game

Possible propane-fed fire from mobile cabinet pyrotechnical flame device at Tennessee Titans pre-game.

A mishap occurred involving a mobile cabinet with a pyrotechnical flame device just before the national anthem pre-game activities for the NFL Titans-Colts game Sunday September 15, 2019, and caused an uncontrolled fire. The fire occurred near the player entrance tunnel and damaged a small area of the ground at the sidelines.

Personnel wearing PYRO CREW T-shirts with the Titans logo were at the scene when the fire broke out. Normally the devices shoot bursts of flames about 30 feet or more straight up, but one of the cabinets, apparently malfunctioned, and provided a continuous large fire about the size of a fully-involved car fire with rapidly venting gas.

The device, likely configured with a small propane tank, can be heard venting gas as 12-to-18-foot flames blew horizontally toward the stands, and produced thick black smoke. It was initially unknown whether the PRYO CREW used a special mixture of flammable gas, or if propane was used.

Personnel on the field used fire extinguishers, which had little effect on the large flames. The ground nearby turned black from the flames, and some of the ground ignited, which was also hit with a fire extinguisher. The Titans have a turf field.

Personnel using the fire extinguishers did not have any respiratory protection or personnel protective gear or clothing.

According to CAMEO Chemicals — the NOAA/EPA system that instructs firefighters how to fight chemical fires — propane leaks may be either a liquid or vapor leak. The vapors can asphyxiate by the displacement of air. Under prolonged exposure to fire or heat, the containers may rupture violently and rocket. Air temperature in Nashville, Tennessee Sunday was in the upper 90s and may have been even higher on the field surface of the Nissan stadium.

Propane is shipped as a liquefied gas under its vapor pressure, and contact with the unconfined liquid can cause frostbite due to evaporative cooling. Propanes vapors — easily ignited — are heavier than air and a flame can flash back to the source of leak very easily. Propane rapidly and completely vaporizes at ambient air temperature and air pressure. The Flash Point for propane is -156°F but the autoignition temperature is 842°F.

CAMEO recommends not extinguishing a leaking gas fire unless the leak can be stopped.

Cellphone videos did not clearly show how much smoke exposure occurred to spectators that were in the stands nearby, fans did evacuate stands in the lower sections near the fire.

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