If you are a New York Jets fan, Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Viking was already a big bummer.
But imagine leaving MetLife Stadium after the game to find your car burned to a crisp in the parking lot.
That’s what happened to a number of people who went to Sunday’s game in East Rutherford, and New Jersey State Police said hot coals from grills were to blame.
State Trooper Alejandro Goez said there were two separate incidents in the stadium’s parking lots that damaged seven vehicles. Both fires were reported around 2 p.m. and extinguished by Meadowlands firefighters.
In one case, a car burned after the driver apparently parked in an area where tailgators had earlier dumped coals from their grill, Goez said.
Another car parked over hot coals caught fire in another part of the parking lot, he said, and the fire spread to five other surrounding vehicles.
The cars were unoccupied and no one was injured, Goez said.
He said it’s not the first time this has happened at the stadium, and said people should always be careful about parking anywhere that might have coals.
“Be conscious of where you park, especially when tailgating,” he said.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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