LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – President Donald Trump’s first week in office will include a visit to wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles.
“I’m going to go out there on Friday and take a look at the situation and put the policies back in place,” Trump said at a rally ahead of his inauguration on Monday. “We’re going to get some of the best builders in the world. We’re going to put it back together.”
The president’s visit comes as the fight against the Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed more than 17,000 structures, gives way to the largest recovery and reconstruction effort in California’s history.
AccuWeather estimates damages and economic losses at more than $250 billion.
Donald holds the hand of his wife Melania Trump (right) as his son Barron Trump (center) and Vice President J.D. Vance look on after taking the oath of office in the Rotunda at the 60th U.S. Presidential Inauguration.・President Trump (center). Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, January 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Molly Gash, Pool)
At least 27 people were killed in the wildfires that started on January 7th when hurricane-force winds like Santa Ana blew through the area. The state has not seen heavy rain in nearly a year.
Questions remain about the cause of both fires, as well as the initial response of local firefighters and whether budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department played a role.
“I am pleased that President-elect Trump has accepted the governor’s invitation to visit Los Angeles,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement Sunday. “The Governor is grateful that the President-elect has met directly with Americans affected by these firestorms, seen firsthand the devastation, and joined him and others in thanking the brave firefighters and first responders who risked their lives. I hope to express my feelings.”
Trump, who has frequently sparred with Newsom, has blamed Newsom for the fires, claiming, among other things, that his water policies have caused Southern California’s fire hydrants to run dry.
Aerial view of a utility truck parked near homes destroyed by the Palisades fire as wildfires cause damage and loss in the Los Angeles area on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo courtesy of Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“The ultimate price is now being paid,” President Trump said. “I call on this incompetent governor to allow beautiful, clean fresh water to flow into California. He is responsible for this.”
Newsom’s office calls the claims “pure fiction.”
Mr. Trump and other conservatives have also repeated decades-old claims by environmentalists that poor forest management is leading to larger and more destructive wildfires.
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