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No. 21 Salisbury, Pennsylvania: Charges are filed in turf vandalism. June 2009.

No. 20 Glasgow, Lanarkshire, UK: Vandals torch turf field. June 2009.

No. 19 Watertown, NY: Cigarettes burns damages turf at high school. May 2009 

No. 18  Baltimore, Maryland: County okays $600,000 for protection of turf fields and other park amenities. May 2009.

No. 17 Scotch Plains, New Jersey: Vandals strike turf. May 2009.

No. 16 Toronto, Canada: Liar, liar – the turf’s on fire! April 2009.

No. 15 Bluffton, South Carolina: A burning issue: flammability of rubber in playgrounds. April 2009.

No. 14 Chatham, New Jersey: Vandalism to turf injures player. March 2009.

No. 13 Lehigh Valley, PA: Vandals strike turf field; painted messages removed. March 2009 (updated).

No. 12 Destrehan, LA:  Vandals spry paint turf field; chemicals and solvents to the rescue! December 2008.

No. 11 Sydenham (Melbourne), Australia: Students vandalize turf field. December 2008.

No. 10 El Paso, Texas: High school field is vandalized. October 2008.

No. 09 Midland City, Ala.: Turf field vandalized. August 2008.

No. 08  Delta, British Columbia: Two turf fields vandalized (June-July 2008).

No. 07 Jackson (New Jersey) gests surveillance equipment for turf fields (July 2008).

No. 06  Richmond (Calif.) High School turf vandalized (March 2008).

No. 05  Vandals damage Arlington High School field.

No. 04  Field Trip to Arlington High/Pictorial (burnt rug).

No. 03  Arson in Charlestown.

No. 02  Pissa!

No. 01  Board considers cameras at field.

[No. 21] Salisbury, Pennsylvania: Charges are filed in turf vandalism. According to a news report in The Morning Call, June 18, 2009, the authorities have charged “[t]wo graduates of Salisbury High School, including one who had played on the school’s football team … for spray-painting racial slurs on the stadium’s artificial turf and track” back in March. [For the earlier story, see http://www.synturf.org/vandalism.html (Item No. 13)]. Source: Tracy Jordan, “Charges filed in Salisbury stadium turf vandalism,” in The Morning Call, June 18, 2009, available at http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-vandals-salisbury-061809-cn,0,5215509.story 

[No. 20] Glasgow, Lanarkshire, UK: Vandals torch turf field. According to a news report in the Rutherglen Reformer (June 17, 2009), “FIREBUGS have targeted Halfway and District Bowling Club as they set the club’s green alight.” The artificial grass set on fire before the morning of a tournament [between 2 am and 9 am] which was to be hosted by the club on Saturday, June 6. It is expected it will cost a lot to replace the turf and club president Jacky Fergus has blasted those responsible.” The smoldering fire was discovered on Saturday morning before the tournament. “The vandals must have set the fire during the night,” according to the club president. “This is not the only time the bowling club has been targeted by vandals. The club have already had to go to the expense of having a fence installed to keep the vandals at bay. Apparently, trouble begins “when the thugs get a drink in them at Welfare Park, which is located next to the club: they go up into the Welfare Park and start drinking the wine they decide just to come in and throw things on to the green.” A spokesman for Rutherglen police confirmed: “Between 2 and 9.20am on June 6 artificial grass was set alight at Halfway and district Bowling Club.” Source: Will Henshaw, “Green damaged by fire vandals,” in Rutherglen Reformer, June 17, 2009, available at  http://www.rutherglenreformer.co.uk/rutherglen-news/rutherglen-local-news/2009/06/17/green-damaged-by-fire-vandals-63227-23893615/

[No. 17] Scotch Plains, New Jersey: Vandals strike turf. According to The Star-Ledge (May 10, 2009), On Friday, May 10, 2009, three teens, who had been turned away from an overnight fundraiser event, took it on the soccer field at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, by burning “a small pattern onto the new synthetic field,” which the authorities called a bad rendition of a swastika. One square foot of the field was damaged. Source: David Giambusso and Brian Whitley, “Three Westfield teens are arrested in vandalism on Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School field,” in The Star-Ledger,  May 10, 2009, available at http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/three_westfield_teens_arrested.html .

[No. 19] Watertown, NY: Cigarettes burns damages turf at high school. According to a news report in Watertown Daily Times (May 28, 2009), one Grant Robinson is charged with reckless endangerment to property, a misdemeanor. The police allege that he “caus[ed] damage to the $800,000 synthetic turf athletic field at Watertown High School,” “he [throwing] lit cigarettes on the carpet, causing burns.” The extent of damage and how much repair will be needed have not been determined. Source: “Teen accused of damaging artificial turf at WHS field,” in Watertown Daily Times, May 28, 2009, available at http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090528/NEWS03/305289964/-1/NEWS .

[No. 18] Baltimore, Maryland: County okays $600,000 for protection of turf fields and other park amenities. According to a news report in The Baltimore Sun (may 26, 2009), the County Council “has authorized $600,000 to install 24-hour video surveillance cameras at five regional parks and at athletic fields that have frequently been the targets of vandals,” who have spray painted artificial turf fields, defaced park property and destroying playgrounds, some by fire. “A pilot camera program at Reisterstown Park has shown that the technology works effectively, he said. The county repaired more than $150,000 in damages there before the installation of cameras nearly eliminated the problem.” “The equipment senses motion and automatically sends e-mail alerts to the closest police station. It will also e-mail information on cars illegally parked after sunset.” The technology can distinguish between a human being and a deer, even down to distinguishing the color of clothing. “The parks department has received 729 reports of park vandalism, playground destruction and graffiti since July, a nearly 10 percent increase over the previous year. Three playgrounds were set on fire and had to be replaced at a cost of nearly $40,000 each. Next year’s county budget includes nearly $80,000 for graffiti removal.” Source: Mary Gail Hare, “5 Baltimore County parks to get anti-vandal cameras,” in The Baltimore Sun, May 26, 2009, available at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.cameras26may26,0,7218530.story .

[No. 16] Toronto, Canada: Liar, liar – the turf’s on fire! Whether artificial turf fields catch fire depend on a variety of factors. Plastic catches fire. Crumb rubber catches fire. Any of the materials used in artificial turf if in contact with fire for a sufficient amount of time will burn. But from the looks of the amount of cigarette butts at the sidelines of some artificial turf fields one may get the feeling that this surface is fireproof. Not so, and not all of the time. According to a news story in The Star (April 23, 2009), during the TFC-Chivas soccer match on Wednesday (April 22) at the BMO Stadium (Toronto), two teenagers each “ignited a flare torch and threw them toward the soccer pitch.” One landed on a spectator, who suffered burns to her thigh. The other flare “landed on the artificial turf, causing a section to ignite, causing approximately $2,000 damage.” Source: Daniel Girard, “Teens charged after woman burned at Toronto FC game,” in The Star, April 23, 2009, available at http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Crime/article/623324

[No. 15] Bluffton, South Carolina: A burning issue: flammability of rubber in playgrounds. According to a news story in The Island Packet, (April 19, 2009), on Friday night (April 17, 2009), a fire destroyed most of the playground equipment at Michael C. Riley Elementary School. Two juveniles -- a 13-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl -- were arrested near the playground and charged with malicious injury to personal property. According to the police department – “the pair were hanging out at the playground with two other children who weren't charged. One of them was smoking a cigar, according to detectives. The two juveniles who were charged began playing with a lighter and tried to set fire to rubber mulch-like material spread beneath the playground equipment. The boy found an old University of South Carolina sweatshirt and set it on fire, and the girl threw the rubber material on top…They started some stuff on fire and then tried to stomp it out, but they were unsuccessful in putting the fire out, so it smoldered for a little while and ended up burning a large portion of the playground.” The fire department “quickly put out the fire, but estimated it destroyed about 90 percent of the playground equipment, as well as the rubber mulch, which is flammable.” “They're just old rubber tires that are chopped up and recycled,” said battalion chief Todd Harvey. “Once you put enough heat on it, it burns.” Source: Daniel Brownstein, “Middle-schoolers charged in fire that destroys playground in Bluffton,” in The Island Packet, April 17, 2009, available at http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/810815.html .

SynTurf.org Note: The ground rubber infill and rubber padding used in artificial turf fields – as well as rubber mulch for playground and gardens -- are often made of shredded used tire.

[No. 14] Chatham, New Jersey: Vandalism to turf injures player. According to news report in Independent Press (March 27, 2009), no less than six incidents if vandalism have plagued the $1-million turf field at Haas Field, behind the Chatham Middle School since the start of school year last September. The incidents have come to light after a Chatham High School freshman lacrosse player fell in a depression created by vandals, tearing his ligaments and breaking a toe bone. The sundry incidents vandalism have included “attempts to burn small parts of the field with cigarettes or lighters resulting in singed areas and areas where turf has been cut, torn or disturbed to create depressions in the field. Pencils that have been broken off and left sticking up the turf have also been found.” The favorite part of the field for vandals is the Cougar head in the center of the field. The incidents have led the school “district to inspect the field before each game, as well as train a member of the maintenance staff to make repairs to the turf, which is both time consuming and costly.” Source: Tracy Ness, “Vandals strike Chatham’s Haas Field,” in Independent Press, March 27, 2009, available at http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2009/03/vandals_strike_chathams_haas_f.html .

[No. 13] Lehigh Valley, PA: Vandals strike turf field; painted messages removed. According to news reports from Salisbury Township Police, on Monday night or Tuesday morning March 16-17, 2009, someone or ones entered Salisbury High School stadium at 500 East Montgomery St. “and used spray paint to cause extensive damage to parts of the field and track area.” Source: “Vandals spray paint artificial turf at Salisbury High School,” in Express-Time, March 13, 2009, available at http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2009/03/vandals_spray_paint_artificial.html . Update: According to a further news report in The Morning Call, “The girls soccer team discovered the slurs and other vulgar words sprayed in mostly blue and black paint on the artificial turf field, track and goal posts on March 10 when they went to practice. It happened during the night of March 9 or the following morning.” “The paint has been removed and police are investigating,” reported the Call. Source: Kelly Martin, “Salisbury School Board hopes to add $1,000 to reward for vandals,” in The Morning Call, March 20, 2009, available at http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b3_5reward.6824250mar20,0,5555587.story .

SynTurf.org Note: Should the community worry about the paint remover that was used in the clean up? Was there any toxic runoff  from the paint remover into environmentally sensitive areas, ground water, soil? Any left on the field, within the range of contact with athletes?

[No. 13] Lehigh Valley, PA: Vandals strike turf field. According to news reports from Salisbury Township Police, on Monday night or Tuesday morning March 16-17, 2009, someone or ones entered the stadium Salisbury High School stadium at 500 East Montgomery St. “and used spray paint to cause extensive damage to parts of the field and track area.” Source: “Vandals spray paint artificial turf at Salisbury High School,” in Express-Time, March 13, 2009, available at

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2009/03/vandals_spray_paint_artificial.html .

[No. 12] Destrehan, LA:  Vandals spry paint turf field; chemicals and solvents to the rescue! According to a news report in The Times-Picayune (December 19, 2008), on Wednesday, December 17, 2008, vandals spray-painted graffiti on the new artificial turf football field at Destrehan High School – on the school's mascot, a wildcat, at the middle of the field, the end zones, the coaches' areas on the sidelines and the new soccer goals. The graffiti consisted of words, numbers and obscene drawings.  The workers were able to painstakingly remove the paint from the field Thursday with repeated applications of products recommended by its manufacturer, Field Turf. The St. Charles Parish school system athletics coordinator Willie Wise said, “We were able to contact Fieldturf and used their suggestions to remove it” with a paint remover and cleaning agent. The workers “would spray it on, agitate it and remove it. They repeated it many times,” Wise said. Source: Sandra Barbier, “Vandals target Destrehan High School turf, fieldhouse,” in The Times-Picayune, December 19, 2008, available at http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/vandals_target_destrehan_high.html .

[No. 11] Sydenham (Melbourne), Australia: Students vandalize turf field. According to a news item in Cath News (December 11, 2008), “Five students will face court in March on charges of causing $40,000 worth of damage in a muck up day at Catholic Regional College, Sydenham in Melbourne's west.”  The principal of the Catholic regional college “said the school's synthetic grass had to be replaced, costing $27,000.” Source: “Students charged over $40,000 damage,” in Cath News, December 11, 2008, available at http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=10686 .

[No. 10] El Paso, Texas: High school field is vandalized. On September 22, 2008, a fire damaged the turf field at Andress High School football stadium. The damage is estimated at $15,000. The authorities arrested and processed three juveniles suspected of the vandalism. Source: “Three juveniles arrested in connection with Andress football stadium,” in El Paso Times, September 30, 2008, available at http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_10600842 .

Photo: Surrey Leader

[No. 08] Delta, British Columbia: Turf is vandalized at two parks. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. July 18, 2008. Mackie Park is located in North Delta. On June 21, 2008, vandal(s) set fire to 250-sq.ft. area of the park’s artificial turf field, causing a$10,000 damage to the venue. The perp(s) are still at large. The police and fire and rescue departments are investigating the arson, while community groups have put up reward money toward the apprehension of the vandal(s). On July 9, 2008, the authorities also identified fire damage to the turf field at the nearby Delsom Park. According to Surrey Leader, “Security patrols will be implemented in North Delta parks, and the municipality will turn on field lights for extended hours to discourage vandals.”  Source:  “Soccer clubs pick up the reward for finding turf vandals,” in Surrey Leader, July 14, 2008, available at http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/25382174.html .

[No. 08] Delta, British Columbia: Turf is vandalized at two parks. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. July 18, 2008. Mackie Park is located in North Delta. On June 21, 2008, vandal(s) set fire to 250-sq.ft. area of the park’s artificial turf field, causing a$10,000 damage to the venue. The perp(s) are still at large. The police and fire and rescue departments are investigating the arson, while community groups have put up reward money toward the apprehension of the vandal(s). On July 9, 2008, the authorities also identified fire damage to the turf field at the nearby Delsom Park. According to Surrey Leader, “Security patrols will be implemented in North Delta parks, and the municipality will turn on field lights for extended hours to discourage vandals.”  Source:  “Soccer clubs pick up the reward for finding turf vandals,” in Surrey Leader, July 14, 2008, available at http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/25382174.html .

[No. 06  ] Vandals damage turf field at Richmond (Calif.) High School. SynTurf.org, Newton, mass. March 19, 2008. For some time now SynTurf.org has been warning public officials about the cost of protection of turf fields from vandalism and repair cost for the damage done to turf fields.  SynTurf.org has maintained that a municipality or other authority that owns or operates an artificial turf field needs to take into account the cost of dealing with vandalism, ensuing repair and insurance premiums therefor, if any,  as a part of their budget for turf fields. Here is a good example why.

On or about 1:30 AM on Saturday (March 15, 2008) vandal(s) left a crater-like burn mark on the turf field at Richmond High School, Richmond, California. According to the police, someone rammed a van through two locked sets of gates on campus, drove to the center of the school's field and set the vehicle on fire. The fire damaged a section approximately 20 feet by 30 feet on the $3.5 million turf field.

According to a recent survey Athletic Turf News, 46% of respondents reported that their facilities had suffered repeated acts of vandalism, 36% reported their fields had been vandalized, but generally it’s uncommon and 18% said they’ve experienced no vandalism problems.

Sources: “Valley vandals damage synthetic turf filed at Richmond High,” in Mercury News, March 18, 2008, available at http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8611332; “Car set afire, damages new school field,” in Athletic Turf, March 18, 2008, available at

No. 04] Field Trip to Arlington High: A pictorial diary. Shortly after the fire at the Peirce Field at Arlington High School, in Arlington, Massachusetts, SynTurf.org visited the site.The pictures below document the "look" of the damaged turf and the manner in which the school had disposed of the damaged rug. The examination of the residue from the burnt turf showed the crumb rubber and polygrass (filament, pile) as having burnt to a crisp. The conversation with the locals who were there on the day of our visit (watching a soccer match) revealed multiple theories about the cause of the fire -- fireworks, lighter fluid, cigarette burns .... This is was not fireproof product. The likelihood of fire at a turf field and cost of remediation, replacement and repair of the damaged turf carpet should be calculated in the "maintenance cost" of any turf budget.