Fire causes damage at Indians' spring home

[March 05, 2011]  GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- An old clothes dryer nicknamed "The Burner" sat scorched and surrounded by water after catching fire Friday and causing minor damage at Goodyear Ballpark, the Cleveland Indians' spring training home they share with the Cincinnati Reds.

No one was injured in the early-morning blaze.

The dryer, which the Indians brought with them when they moved to Arizone from Florida in 2009, was destroyed.

The facility's sprinkler system flooded the indoor bullpen and batting cage area behind the right-field wall. Water seeped under onto the field, forcing the groundscrew to repair the warning track before the Indians hosted an exhibition against the Colorado Rockies.

The Indians asked the Rockies to take batting practice at their complex in Scottsdale so workers could get the field ready.

The dryer was loaded with towels and running when it caught fire in a small laundry room located between the home and visiting clubhouses. The Reds hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

"There was no damage to the structure or public areas," ballpark manager Nathan Torres said. "We're ready to play ball."

Torres said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The Goodyear Fire Department responded to an emergency call at 6 a.m. and put out the fire, which was contained to the room filled with linens and a washer. Torres said there were employees in different areas of the 10,000-seat ballpark, but none near the fire.

This is the Indians' third spring in Arizona after moving their training home from Winter Haven, Fla. The Reds moved in last year after being in Sarasota, Fla.

"The was the first incident, a very small incident," Torres said. "Everything's fine."

Torres said the sprinkler system put out the majority of the fire before emergency workers arrived on the scene.

"The good news is everything worked as it is designed to work," he said. "The fire suppression kicked on, the fire department was deployed and did a great job."

[Associated Press; By TOM WITHERS]

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