Phone Charger Explosion Causes Track To Literally Set On Fire During Race At Big Ten Championships

An unusual scene proceeded to unfold at the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis on Friday afternoon when the track itself literally caught on fire. The explosion was caused by a rogue phone charger.

A brief delay took place right in the middle of the preliminary races and it was not initially clear if the day would be allowed to continue. Fortunately, the fire was far enough away from competition. Nobody was injured.

If the official track & field meet schedule is correct, this bizarre occurrence took place somewhere between the Men’s Heptathlon 60-meter sprint and the Men’s Mile Run trials. A phone charger and/or battery pack fell out of a bag onto the polyurethane surface at what is technically considered the “infield”. I was unable to figure out the exact culprit, but a Nebraska bag was nearby when the flames first burst so the Cornhuskers are the primary suspects.

According to boots on the ground, somebody stepped on a portable charger with a track shoe. The impact from the spike caused the charger to release a few audible pops before it just… blew up! Officials were quick to respond to the flames and smothered the fire with an extinguisher. Crisis adverted.