At least three significant fires are currently spreading throughout Los Angeles County—the Palisades fire, Eaton fire and Hurst fire—aided by an unseasonably dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds gusting through the region. At least 70,000 Los Angelenos have been ordered to evacuate, according to CNN, with hundreds of thousands losing power as a result of the fires. L.A.'s Wildfire Alliance has already deemed it the most destructive set of wildfires in the city's recorded history.
Local leagues have started to postpone sporting events in and around Los Angeles, with others monitoring the spread and impact of the fires. The NBA postponed Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets, scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 PT).
"The entire NBA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time," the league's statement reads. "We are grateful for the thousands of local firefighters and first responders who have demonstrated enormous bravery. Our prayers remain with those affected by the unimaginable devastation caused by the wildfires."
The NHL's Los Angeles Kings postponed Wednesday night's game against the Calgary Flames, which was set to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET. The game has not yet been rescheduled.
"Tonight's game against Calgary has been postponed," the Kings said in a statement. "Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community. We appreciate the hard working First Responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league's support in keeping our fans, staff and players safe. For those with tickets for tonight's game, please hold onto your tickets. There is nothing you need to do. The tickets will still be valid for the rescheduled date. More information and ticketing options will be communicated directly once the game date and time are confirmed."
The Kings will hit the road later in the week, and don't have another home game scheduled until Jan. 20 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The West Coast Conference, a midmajor Division I NCAA league, announced on Wednesday afternoon that Thursday's women's basketball game between Pepperdine and Portland at the Waves' Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif. has been postponed.
Pepperdine has not made any announcements about further games. The men's volleyball team hosts Merrimack on Friday evening, and both Waves basketball teams are scheduled to host Loyola Marymount on Saturday.
L.A.'s biggest upcoming sporting event is Monday's night's Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings wild-card game. The NFL is monitoring the wildfires and in a Wednesday evening statement, confirmed that the game is currently slated to be played as scheduled. Should the game need to be relocated, it would move to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
As of Wednesday afternoon, at least 13 local high schools and school districts have canceled sporting events, according to a list maintained by the .
The wildfires have also impacted ESPN's airwaves. , which typically airs from Los Angeles at 3 p.m. ET,was preempted by an edition of from Bristol, Conn. on Wednesday. The network will do the same with at 6:30 p.m. ET. hosts will also sub-in for ESPN's NBA halftime show for Wednesday night's game between the league's two best teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as the late game between the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs, per .
The Los Angeles Chargers, the No. 5 seed in the AFC, are on the road at the Houston Texans to open their playoff run and will likely not host a playoff game unless they face the Pittsburgh Steelers or Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game. L.A. has altered its practice schedule Wednesday and Thursday to limit its time outdoors due to the poor air quality in the area.
The L.A. Clippers will host the Hornets on Saturday night. The Anaheim Ducks are on the road until Jan. 21.