LOS ANGELES — As of early Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Rams were operating as though their wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings in Inglewood, Calif., would be played as scheduled on Monday night at SoFi Stadium. Just 24 hours prior, the NFL said it was too.
By Thursday night, staff and players were scrambling to check on loved ones and personal property, evacuating the West Hills area as needed and preparing to travel to a different state. The NFL said late-afternoon Thursday that the wild-card matchup will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Multiple widespread fires throughout Los Angeles County have now burned tens of thousands of acres of land, displaced over 120,000 residents under evacuation orders and damaged or destroyed around 10,000 structures according to officials, who also said Wednesday that the fires had killed at least five people.
“I am expecting the game to be at SoFi. We’re operating with the full expectation that that is where we’re going to play,” Rams coach Sean McVay said after the team’s Thursday walk-through, in the early-afternoon. His comments, and the league’s decision, were just two small examples of how rapidly and frequently conditions throughout Los Angeles County have changed over the last three days.
“As far as how (the week) has been affected and altered, I think you acknowledge these things but you also want to make sure that, hey, how you can control making sure that you’re doing the right things is preparing accordingly — while also being mindful (that) this is bigger than football,” he said.
As McVay, and then quarterback Matthew Stafford spoke, winds rattled the large metal-framed outdoor tent that covers a turf half-field at their Woodland Hills, Calif., facility. New smoke activity to the southeast appeared on the mountainous horizon, with helicopters and large airplanes circulating it. Some Rams staff stopped to take photos or check in with team personnel monitoring the situation. A few players simply walked out to the practice field as scheduled. The Rams remained in close contact with the Los Angeles Fire Department for updates and had not altered their schedule as of the start of Thursday’s practice.
New smoke activity on the horizon from the site of the Rams practice facility in Woodland Hills. pic.twitter.com/rbzo6nGN6F
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 9, 2025
Later Thursday afternoon, news broke of a new brush fire in West Hills (later named the Kenneth fire), the smoke of which was also visible from the front door of the practice facilities. West Hills is north of the Rams’ practice facilities, and about five miles north of the city of Woodland Hills.
The Rams were on the field practicing as this fire broke out, and as of 3:15 p.m. PT had not called off practice.
But as the situation escalated, they canceled their post-practice player workouts, locker room, and media availability to allow players to get home and/or coordinate with family members. West Hills and the surrounding area is where some have homes.
Some support staff running to their cars as I and others left. One player stood in full practice gear and cleats in parking lot on his phone with family trying to coordinate next steps https://t.co/7MUgeswIxn
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 9, 2025
At 4:35 p.m. PT, the NFL released a new statement saying the game had been moved.
The league said Wednesday that they were preparing as if the teams will play as originally scheduled, but that they had a contingency plan to move the game to State Farm Stadium.
Thursday, that plan went into action.
Among the factors in consideration for the NFL’s decision were air quality levels in Inglewood, the site of the covered but open-sided SoFi Stadium, possible traffic congestion on roads needed for emergency crews and potential evacuations plus the law enforcement and related staff required to facilitate an NFL game (about 100 people).
Playing the game locally would have taken those personnel away from areas throughout the county where they might be needed as Los Angeles calls for national and local aid.
Additionally, according to the NFL’s Emergency Action Plan, around two dozen medical personnel also are required to staff each game as well as two full EMT units with life support ambulances.
GO DEEPER
Inside the NFL’s Emergency Action Plan that went into motion Monday night
AirNOW, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s index for reporting air quality, considers AQI levels from 101 to 150 to be “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” and recommends that outdoor activities be shorter and less intense once the level tops 100. Long or intense outdoor activities should be avoided above 150, per AirNOW, and all people should avoid all physical activity outdoors above 200.
Thursday, the AQI as the Rams’ outdoor walk-through began was 119. By 2 p.m. PT in Inglewood, the AQI was 123.
Responders are still struggling to initiate containment of the two largest fires. The Palisades fire, burning four miles west of Brentwood, a Los Angeles neighborhood, had burned almost 20,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon including up the Pacific Coast Highway and into Malibu, according to officials.
Fire officials said the five casualties were from the Eaton fire, which burns four miles northeast of Pasadena and has consumed more than 10,000 acres, though estimated a higher death toll in the coming days. The Eaton fire remains uncontained although officials said Thursday morning that “growth had been significantly stopped.”
Concerns over strong winds throughout the area will continue into Friday.
The Rams said Thursday early-afternoon that no players or coaches have yet been affected by the fires other than power outages, but some support staff have had homes affected. There have been no injuries. There was no immediate update available as to whether any player or staff member had been affected by the Kenneth fire.
In 2018, the Rams and the surrounding community that hosted their former practice facility, Thousand Oaks, Calif., were ravaged by the Woolsey and Hill fires throughout the area. Those fires also displaced tens of thousands of people, including several Rams staff and players.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, the offensive coordinator for the Rams from 2020-21, expressed his concern for his former co-workers and support for the first responders fighting the fires. He and McVay spoke earlier in the week.
“You feel helpless watching it from here, and know how many people are being impacted,” O’Connell said. “Definitely, Southern California, I hold near and dear to my heart. I have some friends that have lost homes, and you just think about the impact it has on so many folks. Our prayers are with all of those impacted, and definitely with the brave first responders who are putting their lives on the line, and working 24-hour shifts to try to help put this thing to end.”
McVay said he had also been in touch with Wes Phillips, the Vikings offensive coordinator who coached tight ends in Los Angeles from 2019-21.
“They were just checking in to make sure that we’re OK,” McVay said. “I think when you see it, you realize the severity and the seriousness of it. … It was more just friends checking up, not necessarily how it affects our game.”
As of Thursday late afternoon, the Rams had not altered their practice schedule for Friday and Saturday, but if they need to move practice, they have discussed practicing at SoFi Stadium at Inglewood.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis contributed to this report.
Required reading
(Photo of Sean McVay: Harry How / Getty Images)
