California’s wildfires: Trump offers aid and criticism
President Donald Trump toured a scene of surreal devastation yesterday, picking his way around burned trees and the hulking skeletons of automobiles as he pledged federal resources to help recover from the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California history.
‘‘This is very sad to see, but we’re all going to work together,’’ Trump said after a walking tour of a burned-out RV park and housing tract in Paradise. As he spoke, thick smoky haze hung in the air, and stone and brick chimneys – all that remained of some homes – were visible behind him.
He also criticised forestmanagement decisions he suggested are at least partly to blame, even though the fires are believed to be more closely related to a record drought, high winds and a changing climate. But unlike earlier comments in which he threatened to withhold federal funding if changes weren’t made, Trump provided a reassuring note. ‘‘You’ve got the federal government,’’ at the ready, he promised.
Referring to the staggering loss of life – more than 70 fatalities have been recorded and that number is expected to rise – Trump sounded shaken.
‘‘As far as the lives are concerned, nobody knows quite yet. We’re up to a certain number, but we have got a lot of people that aren’t accounted for yet,’’ Trump said.
‘‘Right now we want to take care of the people who are so badly hurt,’’ Trump said. ‘‘We won’t know that for a while,’’ he said of the full death toll. ‘‘There are areas you can’t even get to them yet.’’
California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, walked with Trump, and told reporters that the state’s requests are being answered.
‘‘It’s just the big, massive cleanup after a terrible tragedy,’’ said Brown, who has been a frequent Trump critic.
‘‘The federal government can provide some help, and a lot of money and some expertise,’’ Brown said. ‘‘We’ll all pull through it together.’’ The Camp Fire covers an area the size of the state of Rhode Island north of Sacramento. Firefighters said yesterday that it is slightly more than 50 per cent contained.
Trump said other countries, including Sweden, do a better job ‘‘cleaning the floor’’ of the forest, to reduce forest fires. He said he hopes the Camp Fire will be the last one of such size and devastation because of changes to forest management practices.
‘‘I don’t think we’ll have this again to this extent,’’ Trump said. ‘‘Hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one.’’
Trump’s one-day visit to California thrust him into a role of uniter and consoler that he has never occupied comfortably. The president seemed moved by the scale of the loss around him and was solicitous of Brown and Democratic Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, but said more about the firefighters and other rescuers deployed to the fire than about the victims.
Before he left Washington, Trump had said, without being asked by reporters, that fire management was on the agenda for the hastily-arranged trip.
‘‘We will be talking about forest management.’’
‘‘The federal government can provide some help, and a lot of money and some expertise. We’ll all pull through it together.’’
Jerry Brown, California Governor