Fans capture video as rogue firework lands on field at start of Baltimore Ravens game

Before Sunday night's Baltimore Ravens' game against the New England Patriots, a rogue firework shot down at the field during the player introductions. 

It's not the type of fireworks fans like to see at the start of a game, and videos of the mishap went viral on social media. 

The firework hit the field near the 15-yard line, and fortunately, no one was hurt. 

Videos obtained by WJZ appear to show a game day staff member standing right next to where the firework exploded. 

"It shot right over my head. I saw it almost hit somebody, too," said Jared Ramirez, who was sitting in the lower bowl behind the endzone. "It actually didn't even process to me at the time that, like, 'Oh my god, there's somebody on the field right there. What if it had totally like struck them.'" 

Videos from across M&T Bank Stadium caught the rare moment. 

Ravens staff investigate firework incident 

The Ravens said it is working with the pyrotechnic vendor to understand what happened. 

"The safety of everyone at our stadium on gameday is our absolute top priority," team officials said in a statement to WJZ. "There was one mechanical malfunction during our pregame pyrotechnic show that led to a device landing on the field. No injuries were reported. We are coordinating with our pyrotechnic vendor to fully understand what occurred and to ensure it does not happen again."

According to its website, Image Engineering has been a sponsor for the Ravens for the last 15 years, developing the pregame show. 

WJZ reached out to the company for comment, but has not heard back as of Monday night. 

Before the 2024 home opener, WJZ went behind the scenes with Image Engineering as it set up the fireworks in the rafters. 

"We really want to get in the heads of the opponent and get the fans in the game," Joe Suehle, president of Image Engineering, said in a previous interview with WJZ.

Fans react to firework incident

Videos from inside the stadium have gained views from across the country. 

"I was pretty shocked that something that big could go wrong," said Patrick Little. "By halftime, there was a couple hundred thousand [views]. By the end of the game, it was like half a million…There's always so much going on and something could go wrong, and it ended up being cinematic."

Fans said they saw the grounds crew quickly act and stomp out any flames and smoke. 

"The NFL quickly had people coming to try and work on the field. Because if you look at it in the first quarter, you can definitely see that there's a little dent in the grass," said Clay Celgin, who caught the moment from the upper deck. 

Some fans said after seeing the viral moment firsthand, the rogue firework could have been a sign of what was to come. 

"I figured probably at that point it was probably going to be a bad omen for what the game was going to be," Ramirez added. 

The team ultimately lost 28-24 against the New England Patriots, putting their playoff dreams in jeopardy. 

• Baltimore Ravens