Saskatchewan Roughriders Put Up Festive Yule Log Video, Prompting Calls to Increasingly Irritated Fire Department

by NESN Staff on Sat, Dec 1, 2012 at 12:05PM

A Canadian football team’s decision to spread warm feelings during the holiday season has instead spooked quite a few locals and gotten under the skin of the area fire department.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, who were looking to do something nice for the area around their home turf, put up a Yule log video on the screens outside Mosaic Stadium. The only problem was that the crackling fire was quite realistic thanks to the large screens and high-quality display — and many people thought the stadium was actually on fire.

The Regina Fire Department reportedly got a few calls about the “fire,” including some concerned citizens who even said they smelled smoke, said Deputy Fire Chief Gerard Kay, according to CBC News.

The fire department asked the football club to find something “a little more appropriate,” saying the Yule log video had become “a public safety concern.”

Fire crews reportedly answered the concerned calls, including one that rushed to the site Wednesday afternoon. That’s what prompted the fire department to recommend “maybe some snowflakes or Santa or something like that,” Kay said.

Roughriders CEO Jim Hopson answered that call himself and said the team would put up a thank you message to fans instead.

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He is Amir Johnson, and that is a huge tree.

Photo via Instagram/iamamirjohnson

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“No player, in any kind of league, whether it’s football, hockey, anything, wants to be called soft.”
– Jeff Green, on the Celtics getting pumped up by coach Doc Rivers’ words before manhandling the Trail Blazers on Friday night