The Henderson Flash experienced a major setback on Thursday as its team bus was rendered unusable by an accidental fire. A local mechanic’s shop was performing routine maintenance on the bus before it suddenly burst into flames.
“It was just kind of one of those unfortunate accidents. Nobody was hurt, which was the most important thing, and our bus was the only thing that was damaged,” Flash owner Clay Bolin said.
The team expressed gratitude for the Henderson Fire Department on its Facebook page, stating, “We want to say a special thanks to all the firefighters at the Henderson Fire Department that responded so quickly and kept the damage as minimal as possible.”
While the start of the season is just about four weeks away, Bolin does not anticipate any delays impacting the Flash’s opening weekend. Whether that means finding a replacement bus in time or renting a temporary solution, Bolin expects to have his team ready to travel by its first away game on May 30, as they navigate the insurance process.
“We’re just kind of taking it day by day and hoping for the best. Everything will fall into place, but ultimately, we’ll have to have the guys on the road,” Bolin said. “We’ll just kind of have to wait and see and kind of go from there.”
The Flash have always been a team that thrives on community involvement, from its host families to its fans at the game. Bolin said there was a “huge amount of outpour” on the night that the incident happened, with messages of support and offers to start crowd-funding efforts. Bolin has asked that everyone be patient and allow the insurance process to play out first in hopes that a solution can be reached without having to ask more of the Henderson community.
“We’ve got so many of our supporters here every year for us, whether it’s season ticket holders, sponsors, or fans coming to the games and cheering on the guys,” Bolin said. “We’ve got so much out there that I don’t want to reach out and ask for more. We’re just hoping for the best right now.”
The Henderson Flash will begin their season on Thursday, May 28, with the annual “Meet the Flash” night, before opening day on May 29 against the Fulton Railroaders at Flash Field.
