Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua shared his gratitude for emergency workers Wednesday amid the ongoing wildfires in LA.
“Thank you to all of the first responders! God bless the families impacted!” Nacua, a BYU football product, wrote on X.
Now, Nacua and the rest of the Rams are among those directly affected by the crisis.
A fire sprung up Thursday near where many members of the Rams organization live, leading the organization to cancel player media availability.
In social media posts, reporters on the scene described players and staff members rushing to their cars while calling loved ones in the area.
“One player stood in full practice gear and cleats in (the) parking lot on his phone with family trying to coordinate next steps,” wrote The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue on X.
The NFL then decided to move the Rams’ playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings from Los Angeles to Arizona.
“In the interest of public safety, Monday’s Vikings-Rams Wild Card game has been moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals,” read a statement released Thursday evening by the NFL.
Los Angeles wildfires
Over the past 48 hours, at least five people have died and more than 130,000 people have evacuated as fires spread across around 25,000 acres of land in the Los Angeles area, per The Washington Post.
Dry conditions and strong winds enabled the wildfires to spread quickly and disrupted efforts to contain them or put them out.
The Rams practice in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, according to Rodrigue.
Woodland Hills was about 14 miles away from the closest fire on Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, “the Rams said no players or staff members had been affected by the fires,” per NFL.com.
On Thursday, that changed with the emergence of the Kenneth Fire.
“First reported on Thursday around 2:30 p.m., it has burned more than 50 acres in the Calabasas and Hidden Hills areas,” The Washington Post reported about the new fire.
Rams updates
Before Thursday’s developments, Rams leaders and players, like Nacua, offered support to fire victims on social media.
The Rams organization posted a message on X Tuesday as the fire danger quickly ramped up.
“Our hearts are with those affected by the Palisades wildfires and the first responders protecting our community. Be safe,” the Rams said.
Cooper Kupp, who, like Nacua, is a standout wide receiver for the Rams, shared “thoughts and prayers.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires. Thank you to the firefighters, first responders, and everyone else doing their best in unfathomable circumstances,” Kupp wrote on X.