What has already been a devastating fire season for California has gotten significantly worse in recent days with multiple fires burning out of control in the southern part of the state.
While sports is the least of our worries here, the UCLA basketball program did have to cancel its game on campus against Montana Wednesday evening.
“The health and safety of student-athletes, staff and fans is our top priority. Due to concerns stemming from area wildfires, tonight’s men’s basketball game versus Montana has been canceled,” the school said in a statement, via NBC Sports. “All other team workouts and practices scheduled for today also have been canceled.”
The several fires currently burning in the Southern California area have scorched over 70,000 acres of land. While no one has been killed by the fires, concerns over the Santa Ana Winds fanning the flames have been heightened on Wednesday.
A new fire popped up in the Bel-Air neighborhood earlier Wednesday, forcing the closure of the 405 freeway and potentially impacting the famed Getty Museum as well as potentially the UCLA campus itself.
For the Bruins basketball program, this was set to be its first game since the entire Ball family drama came to a head. They’ll have to wait it out to see if the program’s next scheduled home game, against Cincinnati, a week from Saturday will be played.