The wildfires across California continued to grow overnight, resulting in the postponement of multiple games and the potential relocation of another.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, many of these fires remain uncontained, and tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents have been forced to evacuate their homes.
Although not every part of the state is dealing with poor air quality, portions downwind from the fires are experiencing significant declines in overall quality.
One air monitor was placed at North Main Street in Chinatown on Wednesday and found that the fine particulate pollution reached as high as 483.7 micrograms per cubic mete, easily exceeding the average limit of 35 outlined by the city, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This poor air quality in Los Angeles County prompted officials from the area to postpone multiple sporting events, including a matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames scheduled for Wednesday night.
Additionally, The West Coast Conference officials announced the postponement of a women’s basketball game on Wednesday night between Pepperdine and Portland at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California, per Sports Illustrated.
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to play the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. in a game that could also be postponed.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the NBA issued a statement on Wednesday saying it will “continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary related to tomorrow night’s game. “
One of the most impacted sporting events is an upcoming playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, scheduled for Monday night.
A statement from the NFL indicated that this game could be moved to Arizona due to the poor air quality in Los Angeles, though no final decision has been made on where it will occur.
“The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires,” wrote the League.
“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. In this instance, the game would be played on Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, if necessary.”
Although the NFL has yet to release a final decision, teams are expected to learn about any potential relocation within the coming days as they prepare for some of the most important games of their seasons.