It doesn’t take a climatologist to walk outside in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday morning to tell you that the air quality is unhealthy.
With the Kwis Fire burning in Oakridge, about 45 miles southeast of the Oregon Ducks campus, smoke drifted towards Eugene on Wednesday and settled overnight, creating a haze that turned skies an ashy grey.
Just before 9:00 on Thursday morning, the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency measured the AQI (Air Quality Index) at just under 100, which registered at moderate on the health scale. A couple of hours later, when the Ducks’ outdoor practice finished, the AQI read 178, classified as unhealthy.
For the Ducks, who were undergoing their first padded practice of fall camp, they braved the smoke. Rather than taking practice inside the Moshofsky Center, players took to the outdoor field at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex and got after it.
Following the practice, coaches and players alike acknowledged the smoke but maintained that health and safety were the top priorities.
“I’m going to let the professionals let us know when it’s good or not so good,” said Associate Head Coach Joe Salave’a. “I think the guys acknowledged and kept going, so I think that’s the biggest thing as a team. You’ve got to acknowledge, go to the facts, and go to the next thing.”
Back in 2017 when the air quality reached hazardous levels because of a fire, the team packed up and traveled to the Oregon Coast, where they held practice at a middle school in Florence to escape the smoke. There is no telling if they will eventually need to take similar measures again this year.
“I think we’re always looking out for the safety of the guys and the group,” coach Salave’a said. “So we’re not going to do anything, we’re not going to subject our guys and ourselves into a situation that’s not healthy. Fortunately for us, we were able to still be within the means of the safety code to be able to get our work done today.”
As for the players, it was pretty much business as usual. While some may have been impacted by the smoke, a majority were just happy to be in full pads once again.
“At first, when we first came out it was a little smokey, our eyes were burning and everything,” said defensive lineman Keyon Ware-Hudson. “But throughout practice, it looks like it got worse. It didn’t really affect me, but probably some other players.”
While fires continue to rage across the west coast and in the state of Oregon, we will continue to monitor the air quality and how it affects the Ducks’ practices and scrimmages alike. If push comes to shove, they can travel inside and hold court in the Moshofsky Center before drastic measures are taken.
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