52°F
weather icon Cloudy

Fire burns down historic ballpark in Southern California

Updated August 23, 2024 - 3:36 pm

ONTARIO, Calif. — Fire has destroyed the wooden grandstands at a historic Southern California baseball field that appeared in “A League of Their Own” and other movies.

Firefighters responded at 11:25 p.m. Thursday to a report of a fire at Jay Littleton Ball Park in the city of Ontario, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles.

“By the time they got here, which was pretty quickly, the structure was already fully engulfed,” said Dan Bell, the city communications director.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, he said. No injuries were reported.

The “traditional, old-school grandstands” dated to 1937, Bell said. The structure stood behind home plate and extended out along the first- and third-base lines.

The 1992 film “A League of Their Own,” starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Lori Petty, among others, told the story of a women’s professional baseball team in the 1940s.

Other notable films that used the ballpark include “Eight Men Out” and “The Babe Ruth Story,” according to the city.

Since the 1930s, families made “countless, cherished memories” at the ballpark, U.S. Rep. Norma J. Torres, who represents the area, said in a statement.

“The stadium’s legacy lives on in the hearts of its patrons and through the movies it has been featured in,” Torres said.

MOST READ
In case you missed it
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Israel says Hezbollah agent targeted in Beirut suburb strike

Yemen’s Houthi terrorists claimed Tuesday that they shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone, as the U.S. kept up its intense airstrikes targeting the group.

Israeli military orders the evacuation of Gaza’s southern city of Rafah

Israel’s military issued sweeping evacuation orders covering Rafah and nearby areas, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city.

Israeli strikes continue in Gaza as Palestinians mark end of Ramadan

Israeli strikes Sunday morning killed at least 16 people, according to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, as Palestinians in Gaza marked the usually festive Eid al-Fitr.

MORE STORIES