California wildfires: Why Trump blames Governor Gavin Newsom

Wildfires are burning in and around Los Angeles.

California firefighters are battling wind-whipped fires tearing across the area , destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources.

Amid the ongoing crisis, US President-elect Donald Trump criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom and outgoing President Joe Biden for failing to contain wildfires.

Let’s take a look.

Why is Trump blaming Biden and Newsom?

In a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “No water in the fire hydrants, no money in FEMA. This is what Joe Biden is leaving me. Thanks, Joe!”

The incoming president, who is slated to take over the Oval Office on January 20, accused the state’s Democratic leadership of prioritising environmental concerns over residents’ safety.

“He (Governor Gavin Newsom) wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California,” he said.

The comments were made as Los Angeles was still being evacuated due to three wildfires.

Additionally, he alleged that Newsom had turned down a plan to redirect water to Southern California.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California,” Trump wrote.

The 78-year-old is believed to be referring to a presidential moratorium that he signed in February 2020 with the intention of diverting water from Northern California to farmland in the south and the central region.

Trump placed Newsom on notice during his first term in office for his management of the state’s recurring wildfires. He had posted a message during the October 23–November 6, 2019, Kincade Fire that raged in Sonoma County.

In 2019, he posted on X, “The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers.”

“Every year, as the fire’s rage and California burns, it is the same thing and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states,” the thread continued.

In response to Trump, according to Washington Post, Newsom said, “We’re successfully waging war against thousands of fires started across the state in the last few weeks due to extreme weather created by climate change while Trump is conducting a full on assault against the antidotes.”

What’s the current situation in Los Angeles?

At least five people were killed and more than 1,000 structures were destroyed as fierce wildfires raged in the hilly coastal neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.

Fast-moving flames burnt through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighbourhoods, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, that are home to many celebrities, like Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and James Woods.

Strong Santa Ana winds , which in certain places reached gusts of over 112 kilometres per hour, were the primary cause of the tall fires that started on Tuesday.

Their efforts were further hampered by the wind, which continued on Wednesday and for a while made it too risky for jets to tackle the fires from the air. Aerial firefighting resumed Wednesday morning.

The public library, two large supermarkets, two banks, and a number of boutiques in Palisades Village were all destroyed in the fire. Actor Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their home  of 45 years.

The Eaton Fire, which started in Altadena, California, miles away from the Palisades Fire, has consumed 2,227 acres and is completely uncontained. At the same time, the Hurst Fire started and burnt at least 500 acres northeast of San Fernando, California.

According to AccuWeather, the flames have caused preliminary damage and economic loss of between $52 billion and $57 billion.

Another fire started in the Hollywood Hills late on Wednesday. It was blazing close to the Hollywood Bowl and other famous sites and was known as the Sunset fire.

According to PowerOutage.us, which monitors outages around the US, about 310,000 people in Southern California were without power as of late Wednesday, with over half of them in Los Angeles County.

What are the authorities doing?

California Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency to further support the communities impacted by this fire.

He visited Pacific Palisades and met with local and state fire officials to support their response to the Palisades Fire.

In a statement, Newsom said, “This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk - and we’re not out of the woods. We’re already seeing the destructive impacts of this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes.”

To combat the fires, the state has sent out around 1,400 firefighters.

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a rare, urgent call for assistance from all of the city’s off-duty firefighters.

Washington State was sending 146 firefighters and Oregon 300.

Teams were also being dispatched from Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

At least 100,000 people received evacuation orders, while the exact number fluctuated due to the constant issuance of new orders.

Several hundred were at the Pasadena evacuation centre by Wednesday afternoon. Many were elderly.

All schools were closed on Thursday in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

How is the entertainment industry affected?

The Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames was postponed by the NHL. On Wednesday night, they were scheduled to take the stage at the Kings’ downtown arena.

The Sunday festivities for the Critics Choice Awards were rescheduled for January 26. They are set to take place in Santa Monica, just a few miles from the Pacific Palisades, at the Barker Hangar.

The Academy Awards nominations voting period has been extended , and the scheduled nominations announcement for next week has been postponed by the Oscar organising body.

The J. Paul Getty Trust announced that two of its museums, the Getty Villa and Getty Center, will remain closed for the next few days, and film studios called off two movie premieres due to the windy and smokey conditions. The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park also closed for the day.

Additionally, Universal Studios cancelled filming for a number of shows, such as Hacks, Ted Lasso, and Suits LA.

With inputs from agencies