Los Angeles Rams' playoff game moved to Arizona as wildfires disrupt sports in Southern California

LOS ANGELES — The NFL moved the Los Angeles Rams' playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings out of Southern California on Thursday, the biggest of several changes to the sports calendar after days of devastating wildfires in the area.

The wild-card game will be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The home of the Arizona Cardinals is nearly 400 miles east of the Rams' home, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The league announced the decision Thursday after another fire broke out several miles from the Rams' training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, located about 13 miles north of fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades. While none of the fires were burning near the stadium — which is southwest of downtown Los Angeles — the NFL made the decision amid concerns about air quality and whether the community could handle such an event under the circumstances.

Several major fires were burning in areas of the vast Los Angeles metroplex following two days of extraordinary winds. A major threat broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, close to the heart of the entertainment industry, but had been contained by Thursday morning.

At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) — roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles' history.

The Rams held their first practice on Thursday but canceled their player media availability so everyone could go home quickly. The Los Angeles area was to remain at a high fire risk through Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Relocations are rare in the NFL. In 2003, wildfires prompted the league to move a Monday night regular-season game between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Rams had a Monday night game against Kansas City relocated from Mexico City to Los Angeles in 2018 because of concerns about the playing surface at Azteca Stadium.

The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

It was the second straight day a game slated to be played in downtown Los Angeles was postponed. The NHL's Los Angeles Kings were scheduled to host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

The dates for the rescheduled games have not been announced. The Kings said tickets for their postponed game against Calgary will be good for the rescheduled date.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his 90-year-old mother was among thousands who had lost their homes.

College basketball

Pepperdine was scheduled to face Portland at Firestone Field House on the school's Malibu campus. Pepperdine canceled classes Wednesday, and access to its coastal campus was restricted.

Loyola Marymount had its game against San Diego postponed as a precautionary measure due to air quality concerns inside Gersten Pavilion while the facility is being renovated.

Horse racing

Santa Anita Park postponed Friday's racing program until Jan. 16 because of poor air quality forecast in Arcadia, near the Eaton Fire.

The California Horse Racing Board approved the rescheduling of the 10-race card, which will be run with the horses previously entered.

A decision on Saturday and Sunday's racing will be made Friday.

The track was handing out N-95 masks to all backstretch and frontside workers as well as protective eyewear because of the smoke.

Golf

The PGA Tour has not decided whether to play the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, scheduled for Feb. 13-16.

Riviera, which will host golf in the 2028 Olympics, is in the Pacific Palisades community and was part of the evacuation order. In a memo to players Thursday, the tour said the course was not directly affected by the fire. Golf tournaments require building hospitality tents around the course.

Soccer

Ali Riley, a defender for Angel City in the National Women's Soccer League who also plays for the New Zealand national team, said her family's home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

Riley posted a photo on Instagram of the devastated neighborhood with an arrow pointing to where the house once stood.

"I was there Monday night eating dinner. Hanging with mom and dad. Watched the sunset," she wrote. ''And now it's gone forever.''

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