The city of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas have been devastated by wildfires since Tuesday, prompting mandatory evacuations of more than 80,000 people so far. Sparked by dry conditions and powerful winds, the fires are engulfing huge swaths of Los Angeles and impacting life in the area. There are currently three separate fires burning simultaneously in the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst.
Even though sports are obviously not the priority here, the devastating wildfires are having an impact on all aspects of life in Southern California, and that obviously includes sports.
Our hearts are with those affected by the Palisades wildfires and the first responders protecting our community. Be safe. 💙💛
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 8, 2025
The Palisades evacuation zone is about 15 miles away from SoFi Stadium, which is scheduled to host the Rams-Vikings playoff game on Monday. If the blaze continues to cause power outages, impact air quality, and disrupt practice schedules and travel plans, the NFL may have to make changes.
In fact, they released their first official statement about that possibility. Chief NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said that the league is continuing to "monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA".
NFL Monitoring the Situation in Los Angeles for Rams-Vikings Matchup
Statement from the NFL regarding the Rams-Vikings playoff game scheduled to be played Monday night in Los Angeles: “The NFL continues to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA.”
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 8, 2025
Everyone's safety and getting the fires under control are of utmost importance. Depending on how those efforts go, the NFL will need to make a determination about the game.
Presumably, postponing the game will not be a possibility since the game is on a Monday night already. The most likely option would be to move the game to another nearby location, either in Northern California, Phoenix, or Las Vegas. The league would need to make an announcement relatively soon if that's the case to give teams enough time to make the necessary arrangements.
For now, please stay safe everyone!