Biden Says LA Fires Most ‘Devastating’ in California’s History

AFP/APP

Washington: US President Joe Biden said Thursday that the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles were the worst in California’s history, as he pledged additional federal funds and resources to assist the state.

“This is the most widespread, devastating fire in California’s history,” Biden stated as he convened a special meeting of senior administration officials at the White House.

He described the situation in Los Angeles as a “nightmare” and praised firefighters, calling them “heroes” for their bravery in running into the flames to battle the blazes.

The outgoing president canceled a scheduled trip to Rome on Thursday to remain in Washington and coordinate the US government’s response to the fires, which have already claimed at least five lives.

Biden announced that the federal government would cover 100 percent of the costs for dealing with the disaster for the first 180 days, at the request of California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

Biden said he was sending 400 federal firefighters and 30 firefighting planes and helicopters to Los Angeles, while the Pentagon would dispatch eight large planes and 500 wildfire clearance personnel.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who hails from California, called the fires “apocalyptic.” She also highlighted reports of insurance companies canceling coverage for families who lost their property in the fires.

Meanwhile, Biden sought to debunk claims made by incoming President Donald Trump that there was a water shortage hindering firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the blaze. Biden explained that the issue lay with power outages—caused by utility companies cutting electricity due to concerns that faulty power lines could spark additional fires—which took water pumps offline.

Trump, who will be inaugurated for his second term on January 20, has used the fires to launch political attacks on both Biden and Newsom.