NFL playoffs: Los Angeles Rams' wild-card game against Minnesota Vikings moved to Arizona due to wildfires

The NFL has moved the Rams' wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings 350 miles away to Arizona after days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

The game was moved out of Los Angeles as wildfires continue to ravage Southern California. The league said in its news release it was "in the interest of public safety" to make the move.

While none of the fires are burning near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood where the teams were set to face off, the NFL made the decision due to concerns about air quality and the strain put on the community, as well as the possible demands on police and fire department personnel.

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The Rams did not practice Wednesday and returned Thursday but they headed home early and cancelled post-practice media availability as a new fire had broken out in the West Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

Both the Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers are preparing for playoff games this weekend.

LA Rams head coach Sean McVay stressed the California fires were "much bigger than football" and said the Rams' priority has been to look after their players and staff while also trying to prepare for the game.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford added that he hoped the game would be a "great escape for people who have been going through a lot of tough times here over the last couple of days."

"We've lost power where I am for a couple of days," Stafford said. "We've been lucky in that regard, that power is the worst thing that's happened to us. Obviously it's a tough thing to watch on the news, to be around, to see.

"Driving around, seeing all that, it's just really sad to see what's going on. A bunch of people are doing everything they possibly can to try and get things under control and get people back to normal as quickly as possible."

The Chargers, the fifth seed in the AFC, will face the fourth-seeded Texans in Houston on Saturday.

It is not the first time a high-profile NFL game has been relocated due to wildfires in Southern California. The Chargers, based in San Diego at the time, had a Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins in 2003 moved to the Cardinals' home stadium at the time.

Watch the Minnesota Vikings face the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round of the NFL postseason, live on Sky Sports NFL at 1am Tuesday morning; stream with NOW.