Smoke from fires in Siskiyou County and southern Oregon force football teams indoors
High school football teams across Shasta County and Shasta College athletics teams are being forced to adjust their practice plans indoors due to poor air quality caused by fires in the North State and southern Oregon.
Enterprise, Shasta, Foothill, West Valley, Central Valley, Anderson and U-Prep are part of several CIF Northern Section programs affected by blazes in Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt and Del Norte counties, as well as three fires burning near Medford and other parts of Oregon.
Coaches from various schools said they'd be forced to move practices indoors if the Air Quality Index didn't drop below 150 by 3 p.m.
More: Siskiyou's Happy Camp Complex grows 3,233 acres
The Deep Fire in Trinity County has remained 3,852 acres in size since Friday and is still 58% contained, according to a Monday morning update from the U.S. Forest Service.
Fires in the Happy Camp Complex have burned a total of 22,195 acres in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County with 31% containment as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Flat Fire outside of Medford has burned 3,924 acres and is 60% contained, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service metrics.
U-Prep coach Dustin Fortenberry explained how adjusting to smoke during fire season has become routine for many athletes in Redding and Shasta County. U-Prep plays at Corning this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
"Unfortunately this has become a normal thing for fall sports," Fortenberry said. "We just have to be efficient with getting mental reps. We might be in a gym with 40 other guys and we don't know the location. It's just about being in uncomfortable situations and learning to be comfortable."
More: 'Unimaginable loss.' Siskiyou woman in burn unit mourns husband's death in Head Fire
Shasta High School Aaron Richards said he is maintaining his team's focus on football despite the smoke. Shasta hosts Paradise this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
"You hopefully play a Paradise who is an under-center run first team and you have a great defensive practice," Richards said.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Fires in the North State and southern Oregon force football indoors
