Menifee schools closed Friday; football game status uncertain

Schools in Menifee will be closed on Friday because of poor air quality from the Fairview Fire and expected adverse weather conditions, school authorities announced Thursday.

An announcement was made by the Menifee Union School District, Romoland School District, Perris Union High School District, and Santa Rosa Academy.

Smoke and ash filled the air in Menifee as the Fairview Fire approached 20,000 acres, with evacuation areas continuing to expand. Rain and possibly high winds are expected by late Friday. Schools in the Hemet Unified School District have been closed all week, and football games involving those schools have been postponed.

PUHSD officials plan to make an announcement Friday morning about the Menifee Bowl football game, the annual rivalry game between Heritage and Paloma Valley high schools. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Heritage, but the status now is uncertain. Rescheduling the game at another location is a possibility.

"We understand how important this game is to the community of Menifee and we are currently exploring various backup options. We will have an announcement early tomorrow morning," said Candace Reines, PUHSD deputy superintendent, Thursday night.

Santa Rosa Academy also postponed its Friday night football game to a later date.