Trump criticised over advice to ‘rake forest floors’

President mocked after suggesting that California should copy Finland to prevent deadly wildfires

DONALD TRUMP’S weekend visit to fire-ravaged California has prompted a withering barrage of ridicule and anger after he suggested the state should copy Finland in raking forest floors to prevent a repeat of wildfires that have killed at least 76 people.

He claimed he had received the tip from the president of Finland, who promptly said that he could not remember offering such advice.

“You gotta take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important,” said Mr Trump during his trip. “I was with the president of Finland and he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don’t have any problem.”

But in an interview published in the Ilta-sanomat newspaper, Sauli Niinisto said he told his American counterpart that the secret lay in an extensive monitoring system.

“Finland is a country covered by forests but we also have a good surveillance system and network”, ran his account of their conversation last week.

Even before those comments, Mr Trump received a slew of criticism for a tone-deaf response to a state hurting badly from the human and economic impact of its most deadly wildfire in history, and where almost 1,300 people are listed as missing.

He was condemned for blaming officials working to prevent more loss of life and mocked for comparing arid California with a Nordic country where melting snow causes springtime floods.

Veli Pekka Kilimaki, a Finnish defence researcher, tweeted: “I perhaps wouldn’t compare Finland and California climate-wise… 80 per cent of the country is classified as forest land. We don’t exactly manicure all of it.”

An army of Finns posted photographs showing how they spent their weekends, rake in hand, working to prevent forest fires, and the liberal New York Daily News headlined its front page “Make America rake again”, in a play on Mr Trump’s election slogan.

Northern California’s Camp Fire has so far destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and blackened 233 square miles. Firefighters say it is 55 per cent contained.

Strong winds yesterday complicated their efforts but they hope 4in of rain forecast for midweek will slow the spread. However, it could also bring the risk of mudslides.

Five more bodies were found on Saturday, as Mr Trump flew in to tour the affected region.

He was accompanied by the state’s outgoing and incoming governors, both Democrats, who have traded barbs with the Republican administration – often on climate change.

Jerry Brown, the outgoing governor, told CBS’S Face the Nation they had set their differences aside. “He’s got our back,” he said yesterday.