A fire at a speaker at the Scotiabank Arena caused the match between the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers to be halted and the venue was evacuated.
The Pacers Raptors game in Toronto was suspended and the arena cleared due to smoke.
The fire chief declared that there was no danger to public safety. pic.twitter.com/sci7Nyi3LB
– ESPN (espn) March 27, 2022
The incident began in the second quarter when the score was 66-38 in favor of the Canadians.
At 8:50 p.m., about half an hour after play stopped, a Raptors spokesperson said the team had checked with Toronto Fire Services and hoped the game could resume without fans in 30 to 40 minutes.
During the first quarter, two sections of fans behind the basket at the east end of the stadium were evacuated, and Toronto Fire Services employees were seen in empty lanes, staring at the ceiling. Later, another section was erased as play continues.
It wasn’t long before a video of the flames coming out of a loudspeaker appeared on social media.
Raptors public speaking announcer Herbie Kuhn has been heard testing the system several times, but the keynote speakers above the stands didn’t seem to work.
Finally, Kuhn announced that the building had been evacuated by order of the Toronto Fire Services and told the booed fans that the game had been cancelled.
The game later resumed without an audience in the stands and the Raptors reported that tickets would be refunded.
With information from the AP.