NFL Game Gets Off to a Literally Fiery Start

If the Indianapolis Colts were looking for a heated showdown against the Tennessee Titans, they got it Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. CNN reports on an actual fire that broke out on the field during the Titans' home opener, right before kickoff as the players burst onto the field from the locker room. Enhancing their entrance were pyrotechnics machines that shot fire into the air, until something went amiss near the north end zone. Here's one view of the chaos, in which the grounds crew can be seen frantically running to contain the flames that suddenly overtook a small section of the field while black smoke billowed into the air; here's a second, closer view of the scene.

ESPN reports one of the pyrotechnics units had started hurling the flames horizontally instead of vertically. Fox News notes that's because one of the fire-spewing units had tipped over toward the stands, becoming in effect like a "massive flamethrower." In a statement, the Titans cited a "mechanical failure" and noted that the "vendor will be required by the state of Tennessee to undergo an inspection for the defective device and the others that were used to determine the final cause." Thankfully, there were no injuries from the mini-blaze. (More Tennessee Titans stories.)