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US President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that the wildfires devastating Los Angeles were the most severe in California’s history as he promised additional federal funds and supplies to support the state.
“This is the most widespread, devastating fire in California’s history,” Biden remarked during a special meeting with senior administration officials at the White House.
He noted that residents of Los Angeles were “living through a nightmare” and praised the firefighters, calling them “heroes” for their courage in confronting the flames to combat the wildfires.
The president canceled his planned trip to Rome on Thursday, choosing to remain in Washington to oversee the federal government’s response to the disaster, which has claimed at least six lives.
He announced that, at the request of California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, the federal government would cover 100 percent of the costs for managing the disaster for the initial 180 days.
Biden revealed plans to deploy 400 federal firefighters and 30 firefighting aircraft to Los Angeles, with the Pentagon contributing eight large planes and 500 personnel for wildfire clearance.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is originally from California and a former presidential candidate, described the fires as “apocalyptic.”
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She also drew attention to what she described as instances of insurance companies canceling coverage for families who had lost their homes in the fire.
Meanwhile, Biden worked to counter claims made by incoming president Donald Trump, who alleged a water shortage was hampering firefighting efforts.
Biden clarified that the real problem stemmed from power outages. Utility companies, fearing that defective power lines might ignite further fires, had shut down electrical energy, which in turn caused water pumps to stop functioning.
Trump, set to begin his second term on January 20, has used the wildfire crisis as an opportunity to criticize Biden and Newsom.
