Rihanna was rushed off stage as sparks fell on the piano and instruments around her, eventually igniting the stage curtain. The American Airlines Arena was evacuated, and firefighters were on scene immediately to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries or fatalities.
The National Fire Protection Association has several standards in place that, no doubt, contributed to the minimal property loss and complete life preservation of all the guests in the arena.
- NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, lays out specific plans for the fire safety of stages in section 12.4.5
- NFPA 160, Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience, details exactly how these pyrotechnic devices are to be handled, pre-show, show, and post-show. This also includes the provision for standby firefighting personnel.
- NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience, would come into effect based on how close the audience will potentially be to the actual pyrotechnic effects.
