Yahoo Sports Will the Vikings-Rams wild-card playoff game happen in Los Angeles with fires raging?
LOS ANGELES – Apocalyptic fires in Los Angeles are threatening homes and businesses across Southern California, and the Nfl said it is actively monitoring the progression of the fires in relation to the wild-card playoff game slated to take place in Inglewood on Monday.
The Minnesota Vikings are expected to travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams in the NFC Wild Card Playoff.
"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, Az, if necessary," NFL officials said in a statement Wednesday.
A decision would need to be made in the next 24–48 hours to accommodate everything for the highly anticipated NFL playoff game.
"The NFL continues to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA," the league continued.
SoFi stadium may have a roof, but it is still considered an open-air stadium, meaning that decreasing air quality could mean problems for fans and players.
SoFi Stadium is about 20 miles southeast of the raging Palisades Fire, which had already burned 15,000 acres as of Wednesday evening.
Officials said that two people were killed in the nearby Eaton Fire, which had burned nearly 11,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
A state of emergency was declared in Southern California as fierce wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds continue to rage. Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate as flames tear through coastal communities, including Santa Monica and Malibu.
While the windstorm is supposed to subside by the weekend, another event Monday could bring strong winds back to the area.
Original article source: Will the Vikings-Rams wild-card playoff game happen in Los Angeles with fires raging?
