By Bernie Wilson
The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - With devastating wildfires raging through much of San Diego County, the NFL moved Monday night's Chargers-Dolphins game - which was to have been Junior Seau's eagerly anticipated homecoming - from San Diego to Tempe, Ariz.

San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy urged the NFL to either postpone or move the game, and commissioner Paul Tagliabue complied, moving it to the Arizona Cardinals' home field.

The city advised the league it could not play the game in Qualcomm Stadium, where the parking lot was turned into a major evacuation center for residents ordered out of their homes.

The sky throughout the county was choked with smoke and ash from three fast-moving fires that burned more than 277,000 acres, killed 13 people and burned nearly 850 homes by Sunday night. The state's largest fire, in eastern San Diego County, caused at least nine deaths.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said he also told the league the game shouldn't be played in San Diego.

"I just can't see us turning around and going to our stadium and playing Monday night football," he said. "There's too much devastation going on for that. Too much.

"I think the league did the right thing. To turn around and run out of the tunnel at Qualcomm with all the things going on, it wasn't right for me."

Monday night's game was to be a homecoming for Seau, who played his first 13 seasons in San Diego before being traded to the Dolphins this year.

"Moving the game is very disappointing to everyone," Seau said, "but obviously for the safety of everyone it is probably the best decision to make right now.

"Our prayers are with the San Diego residents and everyone that is affected by it."

Tickets to the game on the campus of Arizona State University will be free, but people will be asked to make a donation to the San Diego Wildfire Relief Fund.

"Many of us visit San Diego. Obviously it's a neighboring community that's got some real problems," Cardinals vice president and general counsel Michael Bidwill said. "We can all raise a little bit of money ... and try to help out our friends over in San Diego."

Chargers ticket holders will get full refunds, the team said.

Trucks were driving some of the equipment for ABC's "Monday Night Football" telecast the six hours from San Diego to Tempe. Those involved with the broadcast were driving to Burbank, where they were scheduled to fly to Tempe. Analyst John Madden was the exception - he was taking his bus to Arizona.

Qualcomm Stadium's parking lot was turned into a major evacuation center as residents from several surrounding neighborhoods were ordered out of their homes by authorities. NFL network telecasts were pre-empted in the San Diego area for coverage of the fires.

The Dolphins left Miami on Sunday morning aware that the San Diego airport could be closed when they arrived. But the airport reopened by the time they reached California.

They left their equipment on the chartered plane, held their scheduled meetings as planned Sunday night in a San Diego hotel, and were scheduled to leave Monday morning for Tempe.

"The game of football is secondary right now, and I hate to see it happen to my hometown or any hometown," Seau said.

The NFL moved a game between the Patriots and 49ers from Candlestick Park in San Francisco to Stanford Stadium on Oct. 22, 1989, after the Bay Area earthquake damaged Candlestick.

In 1992, the league rescheduled the season opener between New England and Miami from Sept. 6 to Oct. 18 because of damage from Hurricane Andrew.

Today's game

MIAMI (4-2) At SAN DIEGO (1-5)

9 p.m., ABC (Chs. 9, 2)

SERIES RECORD - Chargers lead 10-9.

LAST MEETING - Dolphins beat Chargers 30-3 on Nov. 24, 2002, at Miami.

LAST WEEK - Dolphins lost to Patriots 19-13 in OT. Chargers beat Browns 26-20.

DOLPHINS OFFENSE - OVERALL (21), RUSH (11), PASS (27)

DOLPHINS DEFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (1), PASS (3)

CHARGERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (15), RUSH (5), PASS (23)

CHARGERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (28), PASS (15)

KEY MATCHUP - Dolphins LB Junior Seau vs. Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson ranks third in NFL with 109.5 yards rushing and averages 5.7 yards per carry, second best in NFL among RBs with at least 100 rushes. He's third in NFL in yards from scrimmage (837) and leads AFC RBs with 32 receptions. Seau faces former team for first time. He played 13 seasons (1990-2002) with Chargers and was voted to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. He's now part of NFL's stingiest rush defense (68.8 yards per game) and scoring defense (11.6 points per game).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Dolphins have 37 wins on Monday Night Football, most in NFL, and are making league-leading 68th appearance. Dolphins RB Ricky Williams leads NFL with 26.8 carries per game.

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