Raiders-Chargers game still on in Oakland despite smoke from Camp Fire

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OAKLAND — The air quality around the Coliseum was far from pristine Saturday night. It probably won’t be great come kickoff between the Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, but the game is set to go off as scheduled.

As of now, anyway.

The Raiders haven’t issued a comment on a possible time or site change, meaning air quality hasn't altered plans to play.

There shouldn’t be a change in course later, either, considering the Chargers arrived in Oakland on Saturday night.

Fans have wondered if the game would go off as planned, after thick smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County regularly settled in the East Bay. The Environmental Protection Agency deemed air quality “unhealthy” for most of Saturday, with an unflattering forecast about the Sunday kickoff climate.

Again, that isn’t expected to alter the schedule. The Chargers are in Oakland, and neither the Raiders nor the NFL issued statements about the air quality.

No news suggests the status quo, and that the game will go off at 1:05 p.m. Sunday as scheduled.

The NFL issued a statement Friday stating everything was on schedule despite poor air quality, and it hasn’t spoken on the matter since. That means nothing has changed.

The Raiders typically pack the Coliseum on home dates, especially as those opportunities dwindle before they leave for Las Vegas in 2020. It might be more difficult if air quality stinks, though it’s ultimately uncertain.

The Raiders and Chargers dealt with a similar situation last year, when unhealthy smoke drifted down from fires in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County. The Camp Fire is blazing up in Butte County near Chico, and has caused significant damage to that area.

[MORE RAIDERS: Five Raiders players to watch Sunday vs. Chargers]

[HOW TO WATCH: Raiders vs. Chargers live stream info]

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