Bad air makes teams scramble

There's the tragedy associated with the 2015 edition of Washington's devastating wildfire season: death, destruction and personal loss.

And then there's the inconvenience.

When measured against what those in the path of the blazes have experienced, the inconvenience some in our area - specifically sports teams busily preparing for their upcoming seasons - having to scramble to initiate Plan-B for practice the two do not remotely compare.

Juggling schedules and facilities doesn't even compare, Medical Lake High School head football coach Wes Hobbs said when considering other people's lives, towns, homes and livelihoods that are threatened by the fire that is creating the smoke.

Hobbs' Cardinals were just one of a number of West Plains sports teams that had to scramble as the air quality index (AQI) moved in to the 180 parts-per-million range, considered unhealthy when conducting outdoor activities according to Spokane Clean Air.

Greg Hare, Cheney High School's new athletic director, has literally gotten a baptism by fire - or smoke in his case - as he has had to find places for fall sports teams to practice inside.

"I woke up this morning and looked outside and I went 'ah man, I could just tell, I could tell by the haze, you got some work to do today,'" Hare said. "Welcome to the fire, literally." Hare recently replaced Jim Missel who retired at the conclusion of the past school year.

On Monday, Aug. 24 the AQI was in the 180s, Hare said and all activities were moved inside. By the evening the level had dropped to 125.

Cheney's athletic trainer, Kyle Loughery, consulted with Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga and other local athletic trainers and all were doing the same thing, Hare said.

Soccer was using the middle school gym, volleyball was at the main CHS gym and football went to one practice Monday and was going to drill after volleyball.

The thing Hare did not consider was the band, which was in the middle of camp. "They can't be out in this, either," Hare said and those activities moved to Betz Elementary. "We have instruments and kids everywhere."

For Hare, if the AQI hits 150 or below he and staff will analyze things and decide accordingly. Readings of 100-150 will keep any athletes with asthma out of practice. "About 150 is the mark, if it's above that we're definitely inside," Hare said.

Looks can be deceiving, too, Hare said. "Even today (Aug. 24) I thought it didn't smell as smoky, but it was bad."

Days where it doesn't seem as bad and it still smells pretty smoky, practice will be inside, Hare said. "We're going to err on the side of caution."

At Medical Lake both football and soccer headed indoors. "We all had to adjust," Hobbs said.

The decision to move football inside will be a day-to-day matter Hobbs said. But if they have to return indoors the practice schedules for all fall sports are now staggered by design and the conflicts will be lessened.

"It's not conducive to football, you just do what you do," Hobbs said.

At Eastern head trainer Brian Norton studied the AQI numbers Friday, when the smoke seemed to hang heavier than other days and ordered football practice inside the Thorpe Field House.

"We just felt it was the best thing to do and keep our guys safe," he said.

Monday morning the AQI was again at 185 and the Eagles once again headed indoors as they prepare for their season opener at Oregon, Sept. 5. "Our plan was to look for an alternative site, or ride it out," Norton explained.

The danger zone is any reading over 155, Norton said. A couple of the players with asthma were taken out of practice.

"Anything less than 155 to 150, you watch your asthmatic kids," he explained. "Anything over 155 it can affect anybody, the non asthmatic, as well."

The Eastern football team recently experienced some respiratory issues that Norton wants to attribute to the smoke.

He helped develop the practice policies used by area schools, something that has never been a consideration in the past he said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].