Sports teams, stars, networks and colleges are among those affected by the horrific wildfires that have killed at least five people and displaced thousands more in Los Angeles.
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, while the NFL continues to monitor the situation, with both local teams preparing for the playoffs and the Rams hosting the Minnesota Vikings for a Wild on Monday night Card play-off match. in Inglewood.
Meanwhile, NBA star Kawhi Leonard is “stepping away” from the Los Angeles Clippers to help family evacuated due to the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades, hours before the team’s game against the Nuggets, according to Chris Haynes.
In fact, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his family have already been evacuated from that same area, as he revealed to reporters on Wednesday: “Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve been evacuated. I know a lot of people are panicking right now, including my family.”
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is not in immediate danger but told reporters that his 90-year-old mother Ann was among those evacuated Wednesday due to the Pacific Palisades fire.
Additionally, ESPN canceled its NBA Today broadcast from its LA studio on Wednesday, while schools facing the Palisades fire like UCLA and Pepperdine remain steadfast but are willing to cancel any number of sporting events at a moment’s notice.
JJ Redick (far right) and Kawhi Leonard (left) both evacuated their families in LA
The Palisades Fire burns a building in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles
Three major fires raged in parts of the sprawling Los Angeles metroplex on Wednesday after two days of unusual winds. At least 70,000 people are under evacuation orders and more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed. So far, five people have died in the fire north of Pasadena in a canyon several miles east of the venerable Rose Bowl.
The Rams and Los Angeles Chargers both train in areas not threatened by fires, but both teams are monitoring air quality and its potential impact on their preparations.
The Chargers changed their practice schedule Wednesday to minimize their players’ outdoor time in the coastal city of El Segundo, while the Rams won’t resume practice until Thursday. The Chargers are on the road against the Houston Texans in the wild-card round on Saturday.
The Rams said no players or staff members had yet been affected by the fires. The team is headquartered in Woodland Hills, a neighborhood about 13 miles north of the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, but separated by the Santa Monica Mountains.
The fire started around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, shortly after the start of a storm in Santa Ana that the National Weather Service said could be “life-threatening” and the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade.
Winds were expected to increase overnight and last for days, producing isolated gusts that could reach speeds of 160 kilometers per hour in the mountains and foothills – including in areas where no substantial rain has fallen for months.
“Our hearts go out to those affected by the Palisades wildfires and to the first responders protecting our community. Be safe,” the Rams posted on social media Tuesday night. A team spokesperson deferred questions to the NFL.