Major League Soccer is closely monitoring the impact of a Southern California wildfire on the air quality ahead of Tuesday's Western Conference Final, which will proceed as scheduled based on current conditions around Banc of California Stadium in downtown Los Angeles.
That could change if the air quality (as measured by the Air Quality Index) deteriorates to a point at which it is deemed unsafe for players and fans.
LAFC are hosting the Western Conference Final on Tuesday night against the Seattle Sounders with a ticket to MLS Cup on the line (10 pm ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN and TVAS). If LAFC win, they will host MLS Cup on November 10. If Seattle emerge as victors, they will either travel to Atlanta or they will host Toronto FC based on the outcome of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday.
When contacted by MLSsoccer.com on Monday, LAFC indicated that the team and players were not immediately affected by the situation. The Seattle Sounders' Monday practice was moved from UCLA to Loyola Marymount due to the wildfire.
The club also announced that they will be accepting donations for firefighters and victims ahead of Tuesday night's match.
The Getty Fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning along the 405 freeway near Getty Center Drive and quickly spread due to high winds. According to the LA Times, the fire has burned 656 acres and was 15 percent contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
