Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) Spokesperson Pete Piringer acknowledges members of the Silver Spring Fire Station 16 discharged a powerful water spray onto the abutting Montgomery Blair High School baseball field.
As a result, Thursday night’s Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts game was cancelled.
According to an anonymous email sent to MCM, “Firefighters in Silver Spring Fire Station 16 opened up their hoses on the Montgomery Blair baseball field today, purposely, in order to damage the field. They were seeking revenge because of damage from a baseball. They used so much county water that a collegiate league game could not be played on time.”
On a post on the Thunderbolts website, Dylan Schmidt wrote, “During batting practice yesterday, the Thunderbolts hit a ball over the fence, and it landed on a pickup truck parked by the fire station. That prompted gallons of water to be sprayed over the fence from a firehose, whether it was intentional or not, won’t be speculated. The water created a relatively large puddle in left-center and made the field conditions unplayable.”
The article also noted, “The relationship between the firemen and Thunderbolts is very complex and interesting.”
According to a social media post from the Thunderbolts, “Gallons of water were sprayed over the fence from the fire department after a ball hit a pickup truck parked by the station. That water has created a pond in center.”
MCFRS issued an apology “to the players, teams involved, the Cal Ripken League and fans for any inconvenience that may have been a result,” Piringer said.
The county fire department is gathering information and coordinating with Maryland-National Capital Park Police to see what action, if any, will be taken.
“The fire station and ballfield have coexisted as neighbors for years. We understand the importance of this venue to the community and take all concerns seriously. Our primary focus is ensuring public safety and maintain open lines of communication as we work to determine what occurred,” Piringer said. Both the fire station and high school are located on University Boulevard.
“At this time, we are gathering information and coordinating with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police to review the circumstances.
Absolute clown show @mcfrs pic.twitter.com/JqjWmGunSo
— Zane Grimes (@GrimesZane8) July 18, 2025
Tonight's contest will be delayed until 8 p.m. and will be seven innings due to incident that happened pregame.
Gallons of water were sprayed over the fence from the fire department after a ball hit a pickup truck parked by the station. That water has created a pond in center.
— Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (@TBolts_Baseball) July 17, 2025
