County Race Postponed Because of Air Quality

OJAI — The Ventura County cross-country championships, scheduled to take place Friday at Lake Casitas, were postponed until Monday because of poor air quality caused by a large brush fire that began Wednesday.

The Wheel fire, as it is being called, was 40% contained and had burned 1,700 acres as of 5 p.m. Friday. It is the second year in a row that the county championships have been postponed. Last year’s meet was postponed because of rain.

The girls’ varsity race will start at 3 p.m., followed by the boys’ at 3:30.

“You can’t see the mountains from the school and they’re less than five miles away,” Nordhoff Coach Ken Reeves said. “It’s really ugly. It looks like early dusk here right now.”