Report: Brand New California Football Field Set Ablaze, Home Season Likely Canceled

A state-of-the-art field, valued in the $-millions, is severally damaged and now resurgent Mt. Diablo High School in Concord must find a new place to play seven home games

Taylor Balkom

A season filled with promise, hope and seven home football games was torched Saturday night in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mt. Diablo High School, one of the oldest schools and football programs in Contra Costa County, had a large portion of its state-of-the-art field that was installed in March, destroyed by a fire that started Saturday night.

The story was first reported by the Bay Area News Group,

Mt. Diablo’s field set on fire, displacing football team days before first game https://t.co/csnhj8SLoL

— East Bay Times (@EastBayTimes) August 26, 2025

A photo taken by longtime journalist Jose Carlos Fajardo shows destruction at midfield over 10 yards in length and approximately 30 yards wide. A newly installed 9-lane track was not harmed by the blaze.

According to reports, the Contra Costa Fire Department is investigating the the fire and how it started. Arson is suspected.

According to the report, Mt. Diablo's home opener Friday, when the field was to be unveiled, against Terra Linda will need to be moved,. The same goes for its remaining six other home games at Hart Fairclough Stadium.

Those other scheduled games are Sept. 5 (versus Vallejo), Sept. 12 (Hillsdale), Sept. 19 (Alameda), Sept. 26 (Acalanes), Oct. 3 (McClymonds) and Oct. 31 (Ygnacio Valley).

The Red Devils, once coached by legendary NFL coach John Ralston, are coming off back-to-back winning seasons at 7-4 and 8-4, after a couple of decades of losing. From 2004 to 2022, the teams won a combined 39 games with five winless seasons.

The school was founded in 1901.

The football program has picked up considerable momentum under coach Fetualo Mua. The Red Devils, in fact, were picked by BANG to win its Diablo Athletic League Mountain Division after claiming their first league crown since 1972 last season.

This is at least the second high school football field in the country set on fire in the last month. Timpanogos High School in Orem (Utah) caused $40,000 in damages, according to this report. That fire largely just destroyed a team's logo near midfield.