Turf fire delays start of Rams-Steelers game

St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles, right, fumbles as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Cary Williams. Williams recovered the fumble and returned the ball for a touchdown. AP

ST. LOUIS, United States—The St. Louis Rams got more pre-game fireworks than they bargained for on Sunday when a fire on the field of their domed stadium delayed their NFL game against Pittsburgh.

Fire extinguishers were used to put out the fire that burned some of the artificial turf during pre-game introductions of the home team—who jog onto the field amid a pyrotechnics display.

Workers using squeegies, towels and a vacuum to then cleaned up the foam—leaving a small area at the three-yard line where the artificial turf was missing.

Early in the clean-up proceedings, players milled about the field until both teams departed for the locker rooms, eventually returning to start the game 26 minutes late.

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