Wildfires Force Rams To Flee Los Angeles For Monday’s Wild-Card Game

The Los Angeles Rams are set to play the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC playoffs in Arizona and yes, you read that right.

The Rams are the home team in a neighboring state, forced to flee the L.A.-area because of the devastating wildfires that have ravaged the region.

While the Rams’ home venue, SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood is still standing, the fallout from one of biggest disasters in L.A. history forced Monday night’s wild-card postseason game to be moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Rams exited L.A. on Friday, after their practices were compromised by the fires’ dense smoke. The Cardinals offered their practice facility and the use of their owner, Michael Bidwell’s plane, to aid their NFC West rival.

About 30 Rams, and coach Sean McVay, have had to evacuate their homes because of the fires. With first-responders stretched thin throughout the region, many agreed the call to move the game was the correct one.

“This was the right decision,’’ Rams president Kevin Demoff told reporters. “It’s heartbreaking for our fans, for our players. Our players earned a home playoff game which is a great testament to that. But this situation merits that we play that somewhere else.’’

Rams officials have swooped into State Farm Stadium, eager to make it look as much as the Rams’ home field as possible on game day. Both end zones were painted as if the game was being played at SoFi as L.A. executives attempt to make venue feel like home, sweet home.

That’s all tall order as the optics are one thing but the focus for many of those in the Rams’ traveling party is what’s happening at their real homes, with the unpredictable nature of the wild fires.

Some 40,000 acres and more than 10,000 houses and businesses have been wiped away by the unthinkable havoc which has paralyzed L.A.

Through Friday, 10 deaths have been attributed to the fires.

The No. 4-seeded Rams (10-7) have accepted that they needed to relinquish their true home-field advantage while facing the No. 5-seeded Vikings (14-3).

“The league did the right thing in terms of keeping the priority the priority,’’ McVay said.

To show their appreciation to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Rams will wear T-shirts and caps with “LAFD” on them for Monday’s game.

“This team has been resilient in a lot of ways,’’ Demoff said of his club which started the season 1-4 among a slew of injuries. “This organizaiton has been resilient. This will be another chapter.’’

It will be written by the Rams come Monday, although some 387 miles away from where it was scheduled to be played.