NFL Moves Rams Playoff Game to Arizona With L.A. Fires Burning

Monday night’s wild-card matchup between the Rams and Vikings is officially moving to Glendale, Ariz., following the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles this week.

The NFL announced the move Thursday night “in the interest of public safety.” The league had originally designated State Farm Stadium as the contingency plan Wednesday.

“The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA,” the league said in a statement.

Ticket sales through SeatGeek will begin for Rams season ticket holders at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, and open to the general public at noon. The game will still begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN and ABC.

The same winds and dry conditions contributing to the wildfires in L.A. are also whipping up desert dust in Arizona. On Thursday morning, the air quality index in Glendale was 110, according to the government tracking tool AirNow. By Thursday night, it had fallen to 93. A league spokesperson told Front Office Sports that an AQI of 200 around a stadium is considered unsafe for a game.

The Kings and Lakers postponed their home games on Wednesday and Thursday nights, respectively.

As of Thursday night, roughly 180,000 people have been placed under mandatory evacuations and six people have died.

The Chargers relocated to Arizona twice amid San Diego wildfires in 2003 for a game and 2007 for practice. Tickets to the game were free, while fans were encouraged to donate to wildfire victims.

Smoke at practice

As the fires raged and smoke continued to build, the Chargers and Rams both practiced outside. The Chargers limited outdoor time Wednesday and Thursday, while the Rams only had practice scheduled for Thursday.

On Thursday morning, air quality was better near the Rams facility than near the Chargers one. But a new fire broke out near the Rams facility in Woodland Hills during practice that sent up plumes of smoke visible from the practice field. The team canceled media availability and sent everyone home early. No players or coaches had been impacted by the fires so far, but many live near the new blaze, according to the Associated Press.

“There’s a new fire in West Hills, and while it’s still small, a lot of players & coaches live in that general area,” according to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. Coach Sean McVay said earlier in the day that a few employees had been impacted by the fires, but no players or coaches were affected at that point, according to Beacham.