Cavalry FC was put on evacuation alert on Friday due to a wildfire erupting near its preseason base near San Diego.
The Canadian Premier League squad, in California for preseason training and three exhibition games ahead of the Concacaf Champions Cup opening round next month, including 27 players and 11 coaching and support staff, were alerted to the threat near their training facility in Chula Vista.
All players and staff are safe in the training facility and awaiting instructions from local authorities, according to Cavalry FC’s release.
“We first learned of the evacuation notice at 3:30 a.m. PST and immediately took action to ensure all possible measures were taken to protect our players and staff on location in California, in light of a rapidly spreading wildfire in the vicinity,” said Cavalry FC president and C.O.O Ian Allison, in a team release.
“We are in frequent communication with local authorities and working in conjunction with the facility where the team is staying. We are currently evaluating pre-emptive measures and also have transportation on-hand so everyone from our team can be moved immediately in the event of an evacuation order.
“We will continue to prioritize the safety of our team, monitoring not only the fire risk, but also the air quality, as we extend our thoughts and best wishes to the residents of Chula Vista and San Diego County, and offer our thanks to those fighting the fires.”
Cavalry FC was slated to be in California until Jan. 29 in preparation for the Feb. 6 Concacaf Champions Cup fixture with Mexico’s Pumas UNAM.
For more information, go to cavsfc.com.
