President Trump is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles on Friday to tour areas affected by two of California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfires on record.
Details about his trip to Southern California, the first of his second term, were not available Thursday afternoon. It’s unclear which areas he plans to visit or whether California Governor Gavin Newsom, a frequent target of Trump’s scorn, will also accompany him.
The visit came four days after President Trump’s inauguration and a day after the state Legislature approved a more than $2.5 billion fire relief package with bipartisan support in Sacramento.
Regarding federal fire relief funds, President Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid to Los Angeles unless California leaders change the state’s approach to water management. President Trump, who owns a Los Angeles-area golf course on the Rancho Palos Verdes Peninsula about 45 miles south of the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, briefly mentioned the fires in his inaugural address.
The Eaton and Palisades fires, which started during extreme storms in Santa Ana on January 7, have destroyed more than 16,100 buildings, including homes and businesses, creating a nightmare scenario for firefighters. . Twenty-eight people were confirmed dead in the fires, which burned in the Altadena area northeast of Los Angeles and the Pacific Palisades area on the Los Angeles County coast.
It is unclear whether Gov. Newsom will participate in Friday’s tour. The governor’s office said the Democratic governor is willing and able to meet with the Republican president in Southern California.
Their relationship is complicated at a difficult time for Los Angeles County.
Days after the fire broke out, the governor invited Trump to visit after he attacked Newsom, former President Joe Biden and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on social media. Trump said on the weekend before his second inauguration that he had not spoken directly to Newsom since the wildfires began.
“I invited him here, and I’m glad he’s here,” Newsom said Thursday after signing the relief package in Altadena. “I hope he will take the time to listen to the stories of those directly affected by the wildfires. I hope he has the opportunity to visit the people of Altadena as well as the Palisades. “I hope he comes with a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.” That is the spirit in which we welcome him. ”
Newsom said the two sides have had a healthy working relationship during past crises.
“During COVID-19, we had a great relationship. It was well established and clearly defined,” Newsom said. “I don’t think there’s ever been a Democratic governor in this country who has worked more closely with the president of the United States.”
The two sides have traded attacks over the fire, which Newsom said would be one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Among the claims President Trump made in the hours and days after the fires were that conservation policies related to a small fish called the delta smelt were limited by the amount of water pumped from the fish’s habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It was meant to influence.
“I don’t think we should give California anything until they run out of water,” President Trump said in an interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity on Wednesday.
Izzy Gurdon, Newsom’s communications director, called the fish protection claims “complete fiction.” Newsom said in an interview with NBC News that Trump is “somehow linking the Delta Smelt to this fire, but it’s so inaccurate that it’s inexcusable.” It’s also something that those who understand state water policy don’t understand. ”
In addition to fire weather conditions that firefighters described as some of the worst they’ve ever seen, the early stages of fighting the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades were hampered by water supply issues. Local officials said water tanks and some fire hydrants temporarily ran out of water due to high demand on the first day of the fire.
Water pressure issues affected the ability to supply water to the hydrants for a time and for several hours, officials acknowledged at a news conference the morning after the fire.
New questions are arising about whether the City of Los Angeles and LAFD did enough to prepare ahead of the devastating Palisades Fire. Eric Leonard reports on NBC4 Investigates on January 15, 2025.
Earlier in the day, LAFD Public Information Officer Eric Scott said on the “It affected some fire hydrants.” Refilling water tanks will be limited in those areas. ”
“The extreme demand has slowed the refill rate of these tanks, creating challenges for our firefighting efforts,” Scott added.
Powerful wind gusts not only fanned the flames, but also forced all firefighting aircraft to temporarily ground.
Questions also remain about whether the city of Los Angeles and its fire department adequately prepared for the deadly Palisades fire. NBCLA fire officials say it’s unclear what will affect the home’s rescue, given the winds and intensity of the fire.
Families who lost everything in the Palisades fire had their identities stolen and are now blocked from FEMA assistance. Brittany Hope reports on NBC4 News on January 22, 2025 at 6 a.m.
The cause of the fires, California’s second and third deadliest on record, is also unknown.
Several small fires were burning around Southern California, triggering 15 red flags during the first 23 days of the month, including 11 consecutive days. A recent large-scale fire, the Hughes Fire in Castaic, north of Los Angeles, has made it an even tougher month for firefighters.
After the dry season turned into the rainy season in Southern California, the region is experiencing severe to extreme drought. After two seasons of above-average rainfall, months of drought left hillsides covered in dry brush that provided fuel for wildfires.
When a red flag warning is in effect, if a fire breaks out, it is likely to spread quickly due to strong winds. Flying embers also speed the spread of brush fires. Powerful wind gusts can scatter hot embers for miles and ignite them before the main fire lines, a nightmare scenario for firefighters.
Preliminary Cal Fire statistics show the challenges facing California firefighters in January. So far this year, the State Fire Marshal’s Office has reported 255 wildfires that have burned about 50,600 acres. This time last year, 87 fires were reported that burned four acres.
The five-year average was 139 fires burning 457 acres.
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