CHULA VISTA — Canadian Premier League champion Cavalry FC has been put on evacuation alert due to a wildfire near its pre-season training base outside of San Diego.
The Calgary-based team said the travelling squad of 27 players and 11 coaching/support staff were alerted to the threat early Friday by authorities.
The group is safe and in the training facility and awaiting further instruction from local authorities, the club said.
"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," Cavalry president Ian Allison said in a statement.
“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."
U.S. Soccer, meanwhile, says it will move its under-17 men's and under-16 women's training camps from Chula Vista to Mesa, Ariz., due to the wildfires. The two camps, originally slated to start Sunday, will begin Monday at the new location.
Cavalry is supposed to train in California until Jan. 29 ahead of the first leg of its CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Mexico's Pumas UNAM.
Cavalry hosts the Mexican side on Feb. 6 in a game shifted to Langford, B.C, because of the Canadian winter.
The teams play again Feb. 13 in Mexico City.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2025.
The Canadian Press