President Biden on Wednesday viewed the damage from wildfires in Southern California and pledged his administration’s support for state and local officials and first responders battling the blazes.
Biden met with firefighters and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) during a briefing at a Santa Monica fire station, where he described the fires as “astounding” and pledged the full support of the federal government.
“We’re prepared to do anything and everything as long as it takes,” Biden said at the briefing. “It’s astounding what’s happening.”
Firefighters are battling three separate blazes in Los Angeles County, officials said. Los Angeles County fire chief Tony Marrone told Biden the department was receiving assistance from firefighters in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
“The good news is, I’m a great-grandfather,” Biden quipped at the end of his briefing with first responders, a reference to his granddaughter giving birth at a nearby hospital on Wednesday.
The White House said it was surging resources to the impacted areas of California, including five U.S. Forest Service air tankers, 10 federal firefighting helicopters and dozens of fire engines from the Forest Service.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also approved a fire management assistance grant to reimburse the state for firefighting costs.
Fires have raged this week in Los Angeles County, with high winds further complicating efforts to quell the blazes. At least two people have been killed and thousands have been forced to evacuate.
Newsom offered praise for Biden’s response to the fires, saying during Wednesday’s briefing that it was “impossible for me to express the level of appreciation and cooperation we’ve seen from the White House and this administration. So on behalf of all of us, Mr. President, thank you for being here.”
Newsom’s comments came shortly after President-elect Trump directly blamed the California governor for the state of the fires, asserting some of his environmental policies were preventing adequate water supply from reaching the affected areas.
