UCLA vs. Montana Basketball Game Canceled Due to Southern California Wildfires

Joseph Zucker @@JosephZuckerFeatured ColumnistDecember 6, 2017

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 30: General view of the newly renovated exterior of the arena before the game between the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on December 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)

Jeff Golden/Getty Images

The UCLA Bruins canceled their men's basketball game against the Montana Grizzlies on Wednesday night as a result of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, the school announced.

UCLA's next home game is Dec. 16 against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Earlier in the day, the university instructed non-essential personnel and students who weren't on campus to stay away and that classes Wednesday were optional.

CNN shared video from Facebook user Alex Avlas that showed the close proximity of the wildfires to a major highway in Los Angeles:

CNN @CNN
Driver captures dramatic footage showing just how close the massive wildfire in California is to a major freeway in Los Angeles https://t.co/ed0hiwQQ2s https://t.co/Gc6vkgSWGj

The Los Angeles Times' Melissa Etehad, Laura J. Nelson and Sonali Kohli reported officials ordered the closure of the 405 Freeway and forced residents in Bel-Air, a neighborhood just north of the UCLA campus, to evacuate as a result of the fires.

According to NBC News' Kalhan Rosenblatt and Corky Siemaszko, "tens of thousands" of Southern California residents have left their homes in order to get out of the path of the wildfires.

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