SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service issued an apology after a local baseball team reported that a firefighter sprayed the field at Blair High School, leading to the cancellation of their July 17 evening game.
WJLA reported that the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts baseball team captured the incident on video, saying it occurred after a pre-game practice hit sent a ball over the fence, damaging a pickup truck parked at nearby Silver Spring Fire Station 16.
“One of our players heard someone from the firehouse say, ‘Hey, watch out. We don’t want you to get wet,’” Thunderbolts outfielder Aidan said. “And he said, ‘I’m going to shoot the water onto the field.’ Probably two minutes later, all we saw was [a massive stream of water] basically just shooting directly onto center field.”
Driscoll said after nearly a week of rainouts, he was excited to finally play, never expecting the game would be canceled by a man-made downpour.
According to Dick O’Connor, founder and director of the Thunderbolts, multiple leagues use the field and they aren’t the only team to hit home runs. He said fire department personnel have been repeatedly warned by park staff that parking in that area is unsafe.
“I went to the fire station and talked to the captain and he admitted that he did it,” O’Connor said. “And he said he wanted to get our attention.”
A fire department spokesperson confirmed water was sprayed on the outfield and said the incident is under investigation. MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer apologized to the players, league and community, noting the firehouse and field have coexisted for years.
The department apologized in a statement to WJLA:Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is aware of an incident involving a water discharge near one of our fire stations and a nearby community baseball field on Thursday evening, July 17, 2025, which unfortunately led to the cancellation of a scheduled game.
We want to express our sincere apologies to the players, teams, Cal Ripken League, and all fans and families impacted by this disruption. We understand how important this venue is to the community and especially to the young athletes who look forward to these events.
At this time, we are actively gathering all relevant information and coordinating with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police to understand exactly what occurred. While the fire station and ballfield have long shared this space as neighbors, we recognize that incidents like this can have a real impact — and we take that seriously.
Our top priority remains public safety, and we are committed to maintaining open and transparent communication as we work through the facts. We deeply value our relationship with the community and are taking steps to ensure this matter is thoroughly reviewed and that future disruptions are prevented.
