Wildfires have ravaged neighborhoods across Los Angeles in recent days.
More than 12,000 homes have been destroyed by ferocious fires that have left at least 11 dead.
A flareup of the wildfire on the city’s west side resulted in the latest evacuation order, prompting Santa Anita to cancel this weekend’s scheduled horse racing event.
The track in Arcadia, near the smoldering Eaton Fire that decimated Altadena, said Friday it planned to go forward with racing Saturday, depending upon air quality conditions.
However, track officials said Saturday racing would be canceled due to new developments with the Palisades Fire.
Air quality standards at the track remain well within the limits set by the California Horse Racing Board and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, according to track officials. However, organizers were concerned about the growing impact of the fires throughout Los Angeles County.
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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed 11% of the Palisades Fire was contained as of Saturday morning, while the Eaton Fire was listed as 15% contained.
The 90-year-old track in Southern California is also being used to support various relief efforts.
A charity drop-off set up at the Rose Bowl was relocated to Santa Anita’s south parking lot Friday. Southern California Edison is using the entire north parking lot as its base to restore power to those in affected areas. The track is working with other organizations requesting space.
Morning training will continue as scheduled Saturday and Sunday. The track has its own security staff and does not use local first responders for normal events.
Rescheduled dates for the postponed races are expected to be announced at a later date.
The sports world has felt the impact of the unprecedented wildfires this week. Malibu was one of several areas hit hard by the Palisades fire.
Pepperdine University, which has a main campus on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, postponed its men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader Saturday. School officials cited the Palisades Fire and travel conditions in Los Angeles.
However, Pepperdine’s Malibu campus remains clear of any immediate threats posed by the fire. But access to campus is restricted to the north side. The Pacific Coast Highway south of campus is closed.
Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount are in communication with the West Coast Conference about rescheduling. Elsewhere, the fourth-ranked USC women’s basketball team is scheduled to play a Big Ten Conference game against Penn State Sunday night. Officials are monitoring conditions, a spokesperson confirmed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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