With the North Bay region of the Bay Area up in flames due to dozens of fires, it’s possible that the Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders game this upcoming Sunday could be impacted.
Previous reports suggested that the NFL was still planning on playing the game at Oakland Coliseum. But as the fires continue to burn out of control, contingency plans have to be made.
Now, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Levi’s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, could ultimately play host to this divisional matchup.
Potential option for #Raiders–#Chargers game if it’s moved: The @NFL was informed that Levi’s Stadium is available if needed, per source.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2017
As of Thursday afternoon California time, 29 people have been killed with over 2,800 homes in Santa Rosa alone being destroyed. The fires, which span Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Solano Counties, have already burnt nearly 200,000 acres of land, with most of them still burning out of control.
Obviously, the least of anyone’s concerns here is the sports world and how this game might be impacted. But it’s now becoming a public safety issue. At the very least, Santa Clara (the 49ers home) is further away from the impacted region than Oakland.