High School Baseball Coach Lights Field on Fire, Gets in Trouble

Steve Ross was in a bit of a pickle. His high school baseball team was looking forward to playing. But the infield was damp. A quick fix was needed. Something to dry the area immediately.

An idea was hatched. Unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel was poured on the area. A match was lit and then tossed. Problem solved, right?

Well, not so much. Could be more trouble than it was worth.

Ross is now on administrative leave pending an investigation.

"Ross allegedly poured 15 to 20 gallons of fuel over several different areas. A parent complained about a strong smell of petroleum during a game against Fremont on March 23 and now the Davis County Health Department is helping the school district with the investigation. Rachelle Blackham is Davis County’s Environmental Health Director. “We’re not concerned about the people who were there or anything like that,” Blackham said Tuesday. “But we are concerned about the product in the soil, you know contaminating the soil and possibly penetrating further down.” They’re specifically worried that the fuel could seep into the groundwater so the field will now have to be dug out."

Sadly, there is no video of the fiery incident. An old YouTube video of the method, though, delivers the goods.