Lingering Smoke Prompts Postponement of Events : Fire aftermath: Horse racing, high school football and cross-country will be rescheduled because of bad air quality.

Steve Pavich walked out of his Fountain Valley home Thursday morning, and his car was covered with ash. He knew it would be worse when he got to work.

It was.

Pavich, the Newport Harbor High principal, saw one-quarter to a half-inch of ash piled up in the flower bed outside his office window. He saw it swirling in the air as he walked around campus. Step outside, he said, and your clothes smell like smoke within minutes.

Remnants of the Southern California fires fill the atmosphere, and because of them, many Southern California athletic events scheduled for Thursday--including numerous Orange County high school events and racing at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia--were postponed.

Officials at the Air Quality Management District applauded the decision, saying people should treat the conditions as a serious first-stage smog alert and limit physical activities.

Bill Kelly, an AQMD spokesman, said the addition of ash makes conditions even worse. He said there are fine particles in smoke that can get in the lungs and cause serious respiratory infection.

Pavich said because of that hazard, events scheduled for today--including tonight’s football games--aren’t in the clear, either.

“We’ll look at it again, and if it’s bad, we’ll do the same thing,” Pavich said. “The principals will get on the phone (this morning). We’ll call the (AQMD). If they confirm that this area is unhealthy, then we will be subject to a decision of postponing the football games.

“We’re trying to act in the best interests of the students and not subject them to the polluted air, and it is that.”

Tustin Athletic Director Al Rosmino, who has been at the school for 12 years and in the county since 1971, said the air quality is the worst he has seen it.

“You inhale smog quite frequently in Southern California, but you don’t really feel it as strongly as I felt it today,” Rosmino said.

“They say you can be a second-hand smoke victim, but I really didn’t realize that until today, and we were relatively removed from the Laguna Beach fire. I knew if (the air) bothered me, it would bother the kids. Our equipment man was trying to clean the tennis courts, and ash was coming down as fast as he could clean it up.”

One football game was affected Thursday: Laguna Hills’ homecoming game against Estancia was moved to Saturday because of air quality concerns.

“You can barely see in front of you around here,” said Wayne Mickaelian, Laguna Hills’ principal.

Almost all games and matches at Laguna Beach High, near the area hardest hit by the fires, were postponed for the remainder of the week. Mike Roche, the school’s football coach, said there were tentative plans to play Saturday’s Pacific Coast League game against Century at 1 p.m. at Santa Ana Stadium, but a final decision won’t be made until after a meeting with the team at 2 p.m. today.

The Sea View League, which includes two schools that served as evacuation centers--Corona del Mar and Woodbridge--was greatly affected. It postponed all but one Thursday event, the Southern Section Division I girls’ volleyball showdown between No. 2 Corona del Mar and No. 1 Newport Harbor at Newport Harbor High.

In all, at least 27 events were affected, including eight girls’ tennis matches and cross-country meets (boys’ and girls’), and five water polo and volleyball matches. The Tustin girls’ tennis team, which is 1-11, agreed to forfeit its match to Woodbridge (10-3) because of the proximity of league finals, which begin Wednesday.

The Sea View immediately rescheduled most events; most other leagues were unable to do so Thursday.

Officials of the Oak Tree Racing Assn. said the closure of several freeway exits near Santa Anita made it difficult for fans to get there. They will apply for a Nov. 15 makeup day at a California Horse Racing Board meeting this morning.

Thursday’s schedule included nine races involving some 80 horses. Racing is expected to resume today, and the $10-million Breeder’s Cup scheduled Nov. 6 will not be affected.

Several fires in the nearby San Gabriel Mountains were visible from the track, and the sky was gray and filled with ash.

The poor air quality did not deter trainer Charlie Whittingham, however. Whittingham put Flawlessly, who is entered in the $1-million Breeder’s Cup Mile, through a workout on the turf track. Flawlessly managed a quick time of 1:27 4/5 over seven furlongs.

Racing was last canceled at Santa Anita Jan. 20 and 21 because of heavy rains.

The U.S. National Soccer Team resumed its regular training in Mission Viejo after canceling Wednesday’s workout. Players Peter Vermes and Cobi Jones were held out Thursday with respiratory conditions.

Athletic Events Affected

Thursday’s varsity high school events postponed or canceled because of fire considerations include:

CROSS-COUNTRY

Olympic League--Calvary Chapel, Whittier Christian at Capistrano Valley Christian

Sea View League--Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor at Irvine (moved to 8 a.m. Saturday); Saddleback, Woodbridge at Santa Margarita (moved to 3 p.m. today); Tustin vs. University at Mason Park (moved to 3 p.m. today)

South Coast League--Capistrano Valley at Mission Viejo; Mater Dei at Dana Hills

Sunset League--Marina, Rosary/Servite at Huntington Beach; Fountain Valley, Westminster at Edison (moved to 3 p.m. Monday)

FOOTBALL

Pacific Coast League--Estancia vs. Laguna Hills at Mission Viejo HS (moved to 7 p.m. Saturday)

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Pacific Coast League--Laguna Beach at Costa Mesa; Laguna Hills at Trabuco Hills

Sea View League--Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor (moved to 3:15 p.m. today); Irvine at University (moved to 3:15 p.m. today); Saddleback at Santa Margarita; Woodbridge at Tustin (Tustin forfeits).

South Coast League--Dana Hills at Mission Viejo

Sunset League--Ocean View at Huntington Beach

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Pacific Coast League--Laguna Beach at Costa Mesa

Sea View League--Irvine at University (moved to Wednesday); Saddleback at Santa Margarita; Woodbridge at Tustin

South Coast League--Dana Hills at Mission Viejo

WATER POLO

Pacific Coast League--Estancia at Trabuco Hills; Laguna Hills at Laguna Beach

South Coast League--Capistrano Valley at El Toro; Mater Dei at Dana Hills; San Clemente at Mission Viejo

Note--Events that do not list new day and time have not yet been rescheduled.