Concord high school’s football season disrupted by fire on field

CONCORD, Calif. (KRON) — The football field at Mt. Diablo High School in Concord looks very different on Monday — after a fire broke out in the middle of the field on Saturday night. The high school’s principal tells KRON4 about the possibility that this is arson.

Mt. Diablo High School was supposed to have its first football game of the season at home on Friday, but that won’t be happening because of the giant burn scar.

A Red Devil used to be painted in the middle of the Mt. Diablo High School football field.

It’s not there anymore.

Principal Dr. Markell McCain says he got a call early Sunday morning about a fire.

“I had to check and was like the football field, the new football field,” McCain said.

According to McCain, the fire started around 10:30 p.m. and burned well into the following morning Sunday before crews arrived.

“When I got here, the whole fire department was here, whole police department was here. They had put the fire for the most part pretty much out, they were still wetting it from hot spots but it was already damage done,” McCain said.

That damage was evident to students arriving at school on Monday morning. The field was brand new and cost around $3 million to complete, according to the principal.

He says the turf is fire-retardant, so a burn like this had to take some effort.

“I’m just devastated for our community, our students and you know our football team and our athletes and hopefully we can get it repaired,” McCain said.

That will take some time for the school’s maintenance crews while the athletic department is working to make alternative plans for upcoming football games.

“Our first game would have been a home game Friday. We’re going to have to have that game moved to another location,” McCain said.

McCain says the Concord Police Department and Contra Costa Fire Department are investigating the fire as a possible arson. If started on purpose, KRON4 asked McCain what his message would be for the people responsible.

“We’re just here to educate students, let our athletes play, and you know, lend our field out to the community when they need it so it’s for everybody,” McCain said.

Anyone with information about how this fire started can contact the Concord Police Department.