Olympic venues in Los Angeles were spared from the wildfires, but the city’s rebuilding could impact preparations for the Games.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The devastation wrought by deadly forest fires that ravaged neighborhoods of Los Angeles have left an indelible imprint on the landscape and psyche of the region.

Preparing for the city welcoming the 2028 Summer Olympics and the Paralympics, in addition to the World Cup matches in 2026 and the Super Bowl in 2027, will coincide with a massive reconstruction of housing and infrastructure. This seems cruelly ironic after Los Angeles organizers sold the Games as a no-build event.

None of the Olympic venues were damaged by the still-burning fires that ravaged Pacific Palisades, west of the city, and Altadena, an unincorporated community above Pasadena at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains .

The Palisades fire occurred near the Riviera Country Club, which will host Olympic golf, and was inside the evacuation zone. UCLA, which will host the athletes, was just outside the area.

“While we remain focused on healing and rebuilding, there is no reason to believe the fires will negatively impact or delay preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are already well underway,” said Paul Kerkorian, executive director of the new city office. major events, said in a statement.

The NFL, NBA and college basketball moved or postponed games in the days after the fires began on January 7.

Neither of the two major fires has been brought under control and thousands of people remain evacuated.

“We stand in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and security forces,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement. “Currently, the emphasis must be placed on fighting fires and protecting people and property. »

Los Angeles won the 2028 Olympic Games for the third time in 2017, with the IOC welcoming the organizers’ proposal to use existing and temporary venues rather than building new stadiums and sports facilities specifically for the Games, as well as as their commitment to sustainability and financial responsibility. .

Still, the Games are expected to cost an estimated $6.9 billion in investments such as transportation improvements, facility renovations and city infrastructure improvements, with the goal of benefiting residents long after the Games fade. the Olympic flame. Three major projects involve the renovation of the city’s airport and the expansion of the Metro transportation system and the downtown convention center.

No one expected a large-scale disaster to occur in the country’s second-largest city when these projects were approved.

“What happened in several recent Olympics is that another phenomenon occurred that completely changed the nature of the Games,” said Dr. Matthew Brown, professor of political science at the University of Utah, who has written extensively about the Olympics.

Tokyo postponed the 2020 Summer Games until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then held them without fans in attendance. Beijing moved forward with the 2022 Winter Games under strict pandemic restrictions with a limited number of spectators allowed.

“Something like the wildfires can really change the priorities of a lot of cities in this region and potentially the state and the federal government and what they fund and when they want to fund it,” said Brown.

LA28 Chairman and President Casey Wasserman met with President-elect Donald Trump in Florida Wednesday evening to bolster his support.

“As a lifelong Angeleno, I shared our feelings about President-elect Trump’s continued support of Los Angeles amid the devastation in our region,” Wasserman said in a statement.

Trump, a big sports fan, was serving his first term when Los Angeles won the Games.

“We also looked ahead to the 2028 Games and are grateful for his unwavering commitment to LA28 and his leadership in bringing the Summer Games back to the United States for the first time in over 30 years. We look forward to working with him and his administration to deliver a safe and successful Games that our nation can be proud of,” Wasserman said.

Los Angeles is not immune to disasters, real or imagined. Wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides, floods, drought and riots have left their mark on the nation’s most populous county, home to nearly 10 million people. And on screen, Hollywood imagined mass destruction.

The ongoing wildfires have killed more than 20 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and altered the air quality of this vast region, affecting public health.

“The reality is that this is going to strain the availability of resources for the city of Los Angeles, surrounding cities and the state of California,” Brown said.

“What then happens is those resources have to come from somewhere and that means other things won’t have resources.”

Brown points out that although the Olympics are primarily funded by the local organizing committee, the Games hosted in the United States rely heavily on state and local governments for police, fire, first responders and traffic control. .

“These are all local resources,” he said. “They will not be controlled by the local organizing committee.”

It’s unclear what impact the recovery might have on Los Angeles’ notorious traffic jams. Mayor Karen Bass has promised a “car-free” Olympics, but no detailed transportation plans have been announced for the Games, which are expected to attract thousands of people each day.

The region’s ability to recover will be tested as it prepares to host the World Cup, Super Bowl and 17-day Olympics followed by the Paralympics within three years.

“We have witnessed a tremendous response to this devastating tragedy from our partners at all levels of government, working in unity,” Kerkorian said. “With this continued spirit of cooperation, we are confident that Los Angeles will be ready to welcome the world next year for the FIFA World Cup and in 2028 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Given its proximity to Hollywood, few people would be surprised to see the city create a comeback story worthy of the big screen.

“The great thing about Los Angeles is there’s always another place to do what you wanted to do,” Brown said. “It gives it something that other cities couldn’t achieve.”