So far, none of the 80 Olympic venues already announced have been directly affected by the fires which have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings since Tuesday.
The Riviera Country club golf course was spared, although located in the devastated Pacific Palisades neighborhood (west). The campus of UCLA University, which will serve as the Olympic Village, was, for its part, almost deserted on Monday, given its proximity to the “Palisades fire” which continues to rage.
“A huge reminder”
Some experts have raised the challenge of organizing the largest event in the world in a region regularly plagued by fires. “The situation is serious and, given the developments linked to global warming, we can wonder whether this situation could be repeated, possibly during the Games,” explained Simon Chadwick, professor of sports economics and geopolitics at the Skema business school, in Paris, to the British daily The iPaper.
The latter also highlights the insurance issues that could affect the mega event.
Historical data tempers concerns about Los Angeles: according to the state agency CalFire, no fire affecting Los Angeles County before the current one was among the 20 most devastating in California history. Also, the Games will take place in July, a time of year when the Santa Ana winds, a major factor in the current disaster, do not blow. Los Angeles has already hosted the Games twice, in 1932 and 1984.
“The organizing committees will take these events into account in their planning, but you’re basically working on probabilities: how reasonably should you include this in a budget, how conservative will you be or not? asks Dan Plumley, sports finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, to The iPaper. “We will see to what extent they take the risk into account, but these fires acted as a huge reminder. »
University of Pennsylvania professor Mark Dyerson put forward the idea of reallocating the Games to Paris, host of the 2024 editions, if Los Angeles was in difficulty. “It would be unfortunate, but I’m sure the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is weighing all possibilities,” he told the New York Post.
A proliferation of major sporting events
California Governor Gavin Newsom, for his part, assured NBC that preparations for the 2028 Games and for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, eight matches of which are scheduled for Los Angeles, were well underway.
For the Democratic governor, the proliferation of major sporting events in LA in the coming years (Club World Cup 2025, NBA All-Star Game 2026, Superbowl 2027) must be seen as an opportunity.
“In my humble opinion, and without being too naive or optimistic, this reinforces the need to work quickly and cooperate,” he believes.
Far-right figures, such as polemicist Charlie Kirk, have called for the “cancellation” of the Games in Los Angeles, a Democratic stronghold.
“I hope that by the time of the Games, the Altadena and Palisades neighborhoods will be rebuilt,” says Shawn Sedlacek, an events professional who transformed one of his buildings into a donation center for disaster victims.
“I don’t think the situation requires stopping such an organization. We will be ready and, for that, we need support more than ever, jobs created, we need to look forward to the arrival of the Games,” he said.
The organizers of Los Angeles 2028, who publicly supported the firefighters and displaced people, did not immediately respond to AFP.
