What Sport Stakeholders Need to Know About the Los Angeles Wildfires - January 15, 2025

?? The Situation

LA is facing "extreme fire weather" today --- While the containment of the fires is improving, hurricane-force Santa Ana winds are forecast through today as dry conditions persist. The fires have consumed over 40,000 acres and have killed at least 25 people.

?? How is Sport Being Impacted?

Climate change acts as a performance enhancer for extreme weather-related disasters like the wildfires in Los Angeles, and the results affect sport at every level. Last week, several LA-based NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA games were moved to different cities or postponed. Smoke and particulates from the fires are also putting school sports and sensitive groups on high alert across Southern California.?According to Sports Illustrated, ESPN's network airwaves were also impacted by the fires last week.

As for sports infrastructure, the Santa Anita Park horse racing track transformed into a donation and fire-relief super center for displaced communities over the weekend.?Questions about the resilience of the 2028 LA Olympic and Paralympic venues and infrastructure?are being discussed as the situation develops.

?? What Does This Mean for Recovery and Future Planning??

Athletes, championships, and fans across sports worldwide are teaming up on social media to share resources and organise relief for impacted communities as well as transportation to relocated games. But the LA fires are mainstreaming conversations about the climate adaptation measures and sustainability strategies required to future proof sport and mega-events. ?

Both grassroots and professional sport have experienced increasingly costly delays and cancellations from extreme heat, floods, and other climate-driven disasters over the last decade. Such conditions endanger athletes and fans alike. Because of this, insurance coverage for sports events and venues (as well as recouping the costs of damages or delays from climate-fuelled disasters) will also be an essential consideration for sport moving forward.?

The current cost of wildfire damage in LA is estimated to be between $200-250 billion USD, and mechanisms to insulate local communities from bearing the brunt of the costs are strained. Assessing the impacts to the local ecosystem and costs of biodiversity- and wildlife-related losses will also be a complex part of recovery. ?

?? This is a developing story -- Natural disaster situations change quickly, and it is important to monitor verified sources as things unfold in LA. Live coverage of the fires can be found here: https://www.latimes.com/california/live/2025-01-14/fire-winds-los-angeles-california-eaton-altadena-palisades-updates

See a live map of the fires ?? https://www.latimes.com/wildfires-map/

Sport Positive | Green Sports Alliance | British Association for Sustainable Sport | Sports Environment Alliance | SandSI—Sport and Sustainability International

Further Reading and Source Materials:

Image Credit: "Neighbourhoods destroyed by Palisades fire." -- (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times, January 14, 2025)

??LA Fires are a "Wake Up Call" for Sport (BBC): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/articles/cx25yp831zdo#:~:text=%22These%20fires%20highlight%20that%20wherever,LA%20Kings%20have%20postponed%20fixtures

???Current Weather Conditions in LA (Reuters): https://www.reuters.com/world/us/los-angeles-firefighters-alert-return-extreme-winds-2025-01-14/?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2025-01-15&utm_campaign=Daily+Briefing+15+01+2025

?? Climate as a Performance Enhancer for Extreme Weather-Related Disasters (BBC): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ewe4p9128o

?? Sports Impacts, Delays, Postponements (Sports Illustrated): https://www.si.com/nba/every-sporting-event-postponed-or-impacted-by-los-angeles-wildfires

??Santa Anita Park Donation Center (FOXLA): https://www.foxla.com/video/1575892

?? Air Quality + Health Following the LA Fires (The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/13/los-angeles-wildfires-smoke-exposures

??2026 Olympic and Paralympic Discussions (New York Times): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/13/us/politics/2028-olympics-host-los-angeles-fire.html

?? Climate + Home Insurance Crisis in California (The New Yorker): https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-insurance-crisis-that-will-follow-the-california-fires?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2025-01-13&utm_campaign=Daily+Briefing+13+01+2025