Utah wildfires increase challenges for high school sports

A pair of wildfires in Utah County that forced hundreds of families to evacuate their homes and created poor air quality has posed a challenge to the high school sports season. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Colledge)

SPANISH FORK, Utah (AP) — A pair of wildfires in Utah County that forced hundreds of families to evacuate their homes and created poor air quality has posed a challenge to the high school sports season.

Salem Hills chemistry teacher, athletic director and girls soccer coach Lee Gillie said he had girls who were living in Heber City or Salt Lake City and weren't able to make it to school or practices, the Daily Herald reported .

"I was living with my family in Spanish Fork and as I would drive to work, I would look up on the hill and just see smoke and firefighters," Gillie said. "It was a constant reminder that this wasn't where we wanted to be."

Families were split up due to the Pole Creek and Bald Mountain blazes, Gillie said. He remembered one girl was staying on the sofa at a sibling's house but had to share it.

Gillie said the need to evacuate quickly meant many of his players had limited clothing options.

"Girls weren't able to get all of their soccer clothes out of their house but the other girls came together and they mixed and matched items to make it work," Gillie said. "You could get in line to go up to the houses and get clothes, but it was based on time. Many of us ended up wearing the same two or three outfits for a week."

The school tried to maintain some normalcy as the students continued attending classes and the athletes kept competing. One of the biggest areas of concern for the outdoor teams was the unhealthy air quality.

"We had some practices that were moved to the Nebo School District's indoor facility," Gillie said. "Every morning the air quality was terrible, but it usually cleared up around mid-day or so."

Throughout the last couple of weeks, Gillie has seen people grow and come together. He said the heightened challenges created by the fires brought a lot of the players closer together.

"They are more resilient than we give them credit for," he said. "It's been pretty miraculous."

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Information from: The Daily Herald

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