California Wildfires Kill At Least 9 as Trump Blames the State
A Northern California wildfire haskilled at least nine people and forced thousands more to evacuate their homes while two other major fires rage in Southern California. Dry Santa Ana winds and drought conditions in the state are contributing to the fast-spreading flames.
Firefighters across the state are working to contain the fires while more than a quarter of a million people have been evacuated from their homes. As of Saturday morning,CNN reported, the northern Camp Fire is 20-percent contained; the Hill Fire affecting Thousand Oaks is 25-percent contained; and the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County and Malibu is currently uncontrolled.
“This is the most destructive fire in California’s recorded history,” Scott McLean, deputy chief of communications with CAL FIREtold NPR of the Camp Fire that wiped out more than 6,700 buildings on 140 square miles in the town of Paradise, 80 miles north of Sacramento. Nine people died in the flames—five were found in their cars, and four were discovered in their homes. Thirty-five people are also reported missing.
On Saturday morning, President Donald Trumpemployed a familiar strategy when he tweeted about the wildfires. “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,” Trump wrote, threatening to pull federal disaster funding in the future.
There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)November 10, 2018
This is, of course, not the case. California is experiencing extremely dry conditions for this time of year, which is providing the fire with more fuel. Tim Chavez, who analyzes fire behavior for CAL FIRE,said in a news conference Friday that the fire is “unique to be this late in northern California.”
Chavez continued, saying that under normal conditions, rains would have likely made the woods and brush damp, slowing or stopping the spreading flames. “Fuels will continue to get drier and drier and drier until we do finally get a season-ending rainfall event,” he warned.
Celebrity homesas well as theBachelor mansion and part of theWestworld set have fallen victim to the fires.Cher,Rainn Wilson,Kim Kardashian,Lady Gaga, Scott Baio, and Guillermo del Toro were allforced to evacuate their homes.
I am thinking so deeply for everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones. I’m sitting here with many of you wondering if my home will burst into flames. All we can do is pray together & for each other. God Bless You.
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)November 10, 2018
I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment. It doesn’t seems like it is getting worse right now, I just pray the winds are in our favor. God is good. I’m just praying everyone is safe 🙏🏼
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian)November 9, 2018
My house is in that.#WoolseyFirepic.twitter.com/dNLhcpiD38
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson)November 9, 2018
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