Jason and Travis Kelce began the latest episode of their New Heights podcast with a heartfelt tribute to the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires on Wednesday morning.
The NFL brothers – famed for their high-energy introductions to the show – slowed things down after a difficult week for the US, as Jason took the lead to give a special mention to the west coast.
‘Our thoughts are with everyone in the LA area,’ the former Eagles center-turned-star analyst began.
‘We’ve all seen the footage and at this point know people personally who have been affected by this fire and this tragedy,’ he added, before going on to share a Red Cross website for fans to donate.
‘I really don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming days, let alone the coming weeks, and how this is going to get rebuilt. Just to let you know, we’re thinking about you. We know this is not easy.’
Travis then went on to ask Jason what it was like watching the Rams game in Arizona, after it was moved from LA’s SoFi Stadium to Glendale in the wake of the fires.
Jason (left) and Travis Kelce spoke about the LA wildfires at the start of the New Heights pod
A home burns down in Altadena as the Eaton fire sweeps through Los Angeles
Jason was there with his ESPN colleagues covering the broadcast, and opened up about a touching moment that occurred during his visit.
‘I was walking through the concourse area [in Arizona] I saw the LA fire department hat, and I was like, “God dang, man”. It just hit me in the moment,’ he revealed.
‘Hopefully the Rams winning on Monday gave the fans and the citizens some much-needed escape from the things that are happening.
‘Shoutout to everyone that’s involved in helping prevent, rebuild… the emergency responders. It was pretty powerful seeing a lot of the LA fans in that place.’
The fire has spread from the celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades up the coast to Malibu
The death toll in the LA fires has now reached at least 25, and the fires continue to rage through the Pacific Palisades and other areas.
It is now estimated that 12,300 structures have been wiped out, along with 40,000 acres of land, with upwards of 200,000 residents evacuated.
Local fire departments have warned that harsher winds and more fire would prevent those under mandatory evacuation orders from returning home to assess the damage.
‘Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread,’ the California fire service (calFire) said in a statement. ‘The winds will cause increased fire activity.’
