LA is burning—should it still host the 2028 Olympics?
Out-of-control wildfires are raging across greater Los Angeles, raising serious questions about whether the city is capable of safely hosting the 2028 Olympic Games in the face of climate disasters.
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As wildfires raged across the Los Angeles area, Olympic champion Gary Hall Jr. was among the many residents who lost everything.
The American swimming legend barely managed to escape the devastating fires which consumed his home and everything he owns. Among those possessions were the 10 Olympic medals—including five golds—that Hall Jr. won across three Olympic Games.
“It was worse than any apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen and 1000 times worse,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald, adding that he was lucky to still be alive. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support him.
Hall Jr. is far from the only notable figure impacted by the fires. Billy Crystal, Sir Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman, Anna Faris, Paris Hilton and Adam Brody were among the celebrities who lost their homes in the raging inferno. Others like Eugene Levy and Mark Hamill were also forced to flee.
More than 2,000 homes, businesses and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed and at least five people are dead, making this one of the most destructive firestorms to hit the region. At least 130,000 residents are under evacuation orders while thousands of firefighters continue to face the sprawling fires that have scorched more than 30,000 acres.
The fact that these fires are raging in January, once almost unheard of, is a testament to the newfound risks associated with the warming global climate. Hotter, drier conditions have extended the fire season into what were traditionally cooler, wetter months, effectively transforming California’s wildfire season into a year-round threat. For instance, one of the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history, which decimated the town of Paradise in 2018, occurred in mid-November. This week’s fires in greater Los Angeles, originating in Pacific Palisades, further illustrate the devastating impact of these increasingly frequent year-round wildfires.
As California’’s climate continues to change, weakened by drought and warmer seasons, the risks and costs facing the state continue to rise. A single wildfire can spew more pollutants than millions of cars, causing extreme damage to the environment.
Meanwhile, Thursday night’s Lakers game against the Charlotte Hornets was postponed, underscoring how even sports cannot escape the devastation. As LA prepares to host the 2028 Olympic Games, will be able to safely host one of the biggest sports events of the decade?
According to a study from the University of California, Davis, high-severity wildfires in California have been increasing by about 10 percent per decade since 1984, which was the last time LA hosted the Summer Games.
Meanwhile, the 2028 Games are set to take place between July 14 to July 30, 2028, right in the middle of California’s traditional fire season. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), seven of the twenty largest wildfires in California have occurred in July.
Many of the Olympic events will take place in downtown Los Angeles, spread across three arenas and stadiums. Other events will take place far from downtown LA, in Inglewood, Long Beach, Carson, and Temecula, the latter of which is two hours from downtown LA by car. Several of those locations are among the places where fires recur with some regularity.
According to Cal Fire, more than 8000 fires raged across California in 2024, burning more than 1 million acres in total. The Park Fire in Butte County, which ignited in July 24, 2024, was the most devastating, destroying more than 700 structures and consuming more than 400,000 acres across Butte and Tehama, where the 2028 Olympic equestrian competition is set to take place.
“Overall, the 2024 fire year highlighted the ongoing need for effective wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies in California, as the state continues to adapt to the impacts of climate change and evolving environmental conditions,” the agency stated in its year-end review.
Beyond the wildfires, LA is hardly prepared to host the Olympic Games in 2028. The Games are estimated to cost nearly $7 billion, which are funds that could have been redirected to building affordable housing and fix its traffic congestion issues. According to grassroots groups like NOlympics LA, the Games are also contributing to the gentrification, corruption, displacement, and increased police militarization.
“These games and other sporting mega-events threaten to destroy communities and cement cities as playgrounds for the rich,” read a statement on the official NOlympics LA website.
As LA continues to burn, it is difficult to reconcile the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic’s vision for a sustainable and forward-thinking event with the utter devastation spreading through the region. It is a reminder that even a state as beautiful as California can transform into a living nightmare overnight.
"These are million-dollar homes, [it's] an area which is, of course, where the rich and famous come to enjoy their peace and quiet and tranquillity and to many, this is their little piece of heaven," on-site correspondent David Blevins told Sky News Thursday. "And for the last 48 hours, it has been their hell on earth."
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I've lived in LA for 35 years. "Traditional fire season" is not June-July, as you say. It's September-October, when it's hot and dry and has not rained for 6 months. Due to climate change the season has now extended all the way to January.
Olympics won't be moved out of LA...