Many sports fans feared MetLife Stadium had caught fire after images showed smoke billowing into the skies above the arena - barely two months before it hosts the World Cup final. However, the blaze was actually coming from a warehouse barely a mile down the road from the 82,500-seater stadium.
Warehouse Fire in Carlstadt
According to ABC, fire crews were called to tackle a large fire in Carlstadt, New Jersey, on Friday morning. The roof of the warehouse was reportedly gutted by the blaze, with black smoke visible from across the Hudson River in Manhattan.
Photographs on social media made it appear like the smoke was coming from MetLife Stadium, sparking panic among soccer and football fans. MetLife is the home of two NFL giants - the New York Jets and New York Giants - but this summer the stadium will host eight games including the final on July 19.
World Cup Preparations
Brazil, France, Germany and England are all slated to play group games at the stadium in East Rutherford. MetLife will then host a game in both the round of 32 and round of 16.
The stadium has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks after it emerged that NJ Transit is charging fans more than $100 for a return train ticket on gameday. The 15-minute, nine-mile journey from New York's Penn Station to MetLife typically costs $12.90.
At first, NJ Transit announced a fare of $150 for the World Cup, only to reduce the price by $45 following huge backlash from fans. The state estimates around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match as there will be no on-site parking at MetLife stadium, with only limited spots at the nearby American Dream Mall.
