Despite fires, Safeway Open still set for next month

Safeway Open officials expect their event to be played Sept. 1013 as scheduled, despite the fires near Napa leaving potentially dangerous air quality in their wake.

The status of the seasonopening tournament at Silverado Resort received unexpected attention Wednesday, after Phil Mickelson completed his victory at the PGA Tour Champions event in Missouri. Mickelson plans to play at the Safeway Open and said he hopes “we don’t cancel the tournament” because of the fires.

Tournament director Matt McEvoy indicated the situation in Napa has improved this week and he expects the event to take place. Spectators will not be allowed at Silverado because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve been in close communication with the tour,” McEvoy told The Chronicle on Wednesday. “It’s a little too soon since the (Atlas) fire in 2017, but I think we’re going to be all right. If the tournament was today, we’d be playing.”

The LNU Complex fires, including blazes in Napa and Sonoma counties, began Aug. 17 and have since burned more than 350,000 acres. They were 27% contained as of Wednesday afternoon.

The air quality index in Napa, after hovering at “unhealthy” levels late last week and through the weekend, was down to 88 (considered “moderate”) shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Three years ago, only hours after the Safeway Open ended, the Atlas Fire started nearby and ultimately caused six deaths, destroyed more than 750 structures and burned about 51,000 acres. Tour players and officials fled Silverado to escape the flames.

Mickelson, the biggest name expected to play in this year’s

Safeway, won his debut on the 50andolder circuit Wednesday. Then, on Golf Channel, he said, “I’ll take a week and a half off before I hopefully play Napa, if we can get the fires to subside. I’m hoping we don’t cancel the tournament and people are safe there. Then I’ll try to get ready for the U.S. Open.”

The U.S. Open will be played Sept. 1720 at Winged Foot in suburban New York. Mickelson, a sixtime runnerup in the event, needs a U.S. Open victory to complete the career Grand Slam. Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick