Horse racing, college basketball games postponed due to devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County
Wildfires have ravaged neighborhoods across Los Angeles in recent days.
More than 12,000 homes have been destroyed by the raging fires that have left at least 11 people dead.
A wildfire on the city’s west side led to a recent evacuation order, prompting Santa Anita to cancel a horse racing event scheduled for this weekend.
The track in Arcadia, near the smoldering Eaton Fire that devastated Altadena, said Friday it planned to go ahead with racing Saturday, depending on air quality conditions.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONE OF THE GAMES ON FOXNEWS.COM
Richi and jockey Kazushi Kimura, right, won the Grade III Las Flores Stakes horse race on Jan. 4, 2025, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. (Benoit photo via AP)
However, track officials said Saturday’s race will be canceled due to new developments with the Palisades Fire.
Air quality levels at the track remain within limits set by the California Horse Racing Board and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, according to track officials. However, planners were concerned about the growing impact of the fires across Los Angeles County.
ROSE BOWL HALF-MARATHON AND 5K CANCELED DUE TO WILDFIRES
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed that the Palisades Fire was 11% contained as of Saturday morning, while the Eaton Fire was listed as 15%.
A 90-year-old song in Southern California is also used to support various relief efforts.
An American flag hangs over the gate of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The drop-off area set up at the Rose Bowl was moved to Santa Anita’s south parking lot on Friday. Southern California Edison is using the entire north parking lot as its base to restore power to those in the affected areas. The track works with other organizations that request space.
Morning training will continue as scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. The track has its own security staff and does not use local first responders for regular events.
The rescheduled dates for the postponed races are expected to be announced later.
The sporting world has felt the impact of the bushfires like never before this week. Malibu is one of the areas hardest hit by the Palisades fire.
Pepperdine University, which has a large campus on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, postponed its men’s and women’s basketball games on Saturday. School officials cited the Palisades Fire and travel conditions in Los Angeles.
Pepperdine University in Malibu Oct. 18, 2023. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, Pepperdine’s Malibu campus remains clear of any threats posed by the fire. But access to the campus is restricted to the north side. Pacific Coast Highway south of campus is closed.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount are contacting the West Coast Conference about realignment. Elsewhere, the fourth-ranked USC women’s basketball team is scheduled to play a Big Ten Conference game against Penn State on Sunday night. Officials are monitoring the situation, a police spokesman said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on Xand register at Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
