Wake Forest Athletics News - Wake Forest University Athletics

Deacons Keep Close Eye On California Wildfires

Seven Wake Forest student-athletes, one coach hail from the San Diego area

Oct. 29, 2003

The wildfires currently roaring across southern California hit close to home for seven Wake Forest University student-athletes from the San Diego area.

"It's hard being so far away when this devestation is occuring near your home," said Haley Scott, a Rancho Santa Fe (CA) native who joins her twin sister Tracey as freshmen members of the once-beaten Deacon field hockey team. "I am concerned for my family and friends' safety."

At least 16 people have died because of the fires since Oct. 21, and more than 1,600 homes have been destroyed.

The fires came within eight miles of the Scott family home in Rancho Santa Fe. Wake Forest sophomore punter/placekicker Ryan Plackemeier and Deacon women's soccer coach Tony Da Luz both have family members that were forced to evacuate.

"The fire actually came within one block of my grandparents' house in San Bernadino," Plackemeier said. "The ashes caused the roof to burn and the carpet was burned, but fortunately no one was hurt."

Junior golfer Doug Manchester's aunt owns a 77-acre ranch in Julian (CA). She was given just 30 minutes to evacuate, leaving her cattle and horses behind. She left the gate open with hopes that the animals would escape.

And while Manchester's parents have been a safe distance from the fires in the coastal city of La Jolla (CA), they have seen the damage up close.

"The sky looks like Armageddon," Manchester said. "The ashes look like snowflakes, and they're covering up cars and buildings. Everything has shut down."

Three other Wake Forest student-athletes -- sophomore baseball player Casey Sterk (Encinitas, CA), and freshmen soccer players Kori Colllins (San Diego) and Kaitlyn Doe (San Diego) - also come from the San Diego area. While their families have not been forced to evacuate, the damage has been evident.

"Fires are so unpredictable, so I have felt very uneasy and unsettled during this time," Scott said. "The air quality is so bad that you have to stay indoors. Schools have been cancelled, roads have been closed, businesses have been shut down.

"My home has been covered in embers and soot, and my family and friends stay close to their home just in case something ignites.

"So many people have lost their homes and have nothing, and worst of all, people have been killed. Witnessing this destruction has made people realize how precious life is and how your life can change overnight," Scott said.