Trump expects to visit California wildfire area next week
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An aerial view shows the homes destroyed by the Eaton Fire in a neighbourhood of Altadena, California.
PHOTO: MARK ABRAMSON/NYTIMES
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LOS ANGELES – US President-elect Donald Trump, who has sharply criticised California’s response to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, on Jan 18 said he would most likely pay a visit to the area next week after his inauguration.
The fires have killed at least 27 people as of Jan 17 and destroyed more than 10,000 structures in the residential enclaves of Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
“I will be (going), probably, at the end of the week,” Trump, who will be inaugurated on Jan 20, told NBC in an interview.
“I was going to go... yesterday but I thought it would be better if I went as president. It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom last week invited him to visit the area, saying people should not “politicise human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines”.
As the blaze raged, Trump demanded that Mr Newsom resign, claiming his policies caused a water shortage that hampered fire-fighting efforts. Mr Newsom said the charges were groundless.
Trump also accused Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of incompetence and said President Joe Biden had left him with no money in the Federal Emergency Management Agency budget.
The wildfires, which began on Jan 7, spread quickly under dry conditions and extremely strong Santa Ana winds. Los Angeles officials told most evacuees on Jan 16 to stay away from their homes for at least another week.
Estimates of the damage range anywhere from US$20 billion (S$27.4 billion) to US$45 billion. Rents have surged and uncertainty over insurance settlements has left some of the displaced in limbo. REUTERS
