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Wildfires are currently sweeping throughout Los Angeles County, burning down several structures and forcing families to leave their homes. The NFL has prepared an alternate location for the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams’ Wild Card matchup next week as a result.
The Vikings and Rams are set to clash at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on Monday (Jan. 13) as the Rams won their division, earning home-field advantage for the Wild Card round. The NFL released a statement addressing the wildfires ravaging LA, and how will they proceed if necessary. “The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community,” they wrote in a statement published by the official NFL Communications X account.
“We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires. We continue to prepare to play the Vikings-Rams game as scheduled Monday night at SoFi Stadium. As with all games, there are contingency plans in the event a change in location is needed.” If the fires present too much of a hazard, the game will be moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, home of the Arizona Cardinals and Super Bowl LVII.
This is not the first time an NFL game has had to be moved due to wildfires in California. In 2003, a matchup between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ.
Neither the Los Angeles Rams nor Los Angeles Chargers players have been affected by the wildfires, and the Charges have adjusted their practice schedule to limit players’ time outside due to the affected air quality. “We’re trying to keep everybody safe and healthy as much as possible and also at the same time get our preparation done for the game,” Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. They will travel to Houston to take on the Texans on Saturday (Jan. 11).
Five Los Angeles residents have been killed due to the fires, marking the third time in five years that wildfires have taken place in the region in January. Typically, wildfire season runs from June or July through October. However, rising temperatures and decreased rainfall have prompted them to occur earlier in the year, such as the one in 2022 and 10 in 2021, ESPN reported via Cal Fire.
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