Devastating fires have left a trail of destruction in the Los Angeles area. The first fatalities have now been confirmed, the number of unreported cases is likely to be high. Newly elected US President Donald Trump is now attacking the Democratic governor.
According to American media, this is already one of the worst fire disasters in the history of Los Angeles. More than 130,000 people are fleeing, leading to enormous traffic jams. A resident reported “chaotic scenes” to CNN. Local Austrians spoke to the “Krone” about a “fire of a new dimension”.
“We are using all available resources to fight these fires,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said. His state is leaving no stone unturned to protect its residents.
Newsom fears an increase in the number of victims. In an interview with CNN, he spoke of “total destruction” and recalled the deadly inferno in Paradise, a city in Northern California. This was almost completely destroyed by the “Camp Fire” in November 2018, 85 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.
Trump goes on the offensive
Donald Trump has held California’s governor responsible for the extent of the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In particular, the Republican criticized Newsom’s water conservation measures on his online mouthpiece Truth Social, accusing him of not caring about the people of the US state.
“Now the ultimate price is being paid. “I will demand that this incompetent governor keep nice, clean, fresh water flowing to California!” Trump wrote. Newsom takes responsibility for the situation.
Trump has often lashed out at prominent Democrat Newsom in the past and described his policies as radical. California’s water policy has been under discussion for years. Newsom has advocated for environmental regulations that limit water transfers in certain regions to protect endangered species.
Critics accuse Newsom of endangering agricultural operations and fire protection. However, experts emphasize that factors such as drought caused by the climate crisis, strong winds and forest management play a greater role in the occurrence and intensity of forest fires.
Newsom, on the other hand, did not want to accept Trump’s criticism (see tweet above). He accused the Republican of adding fuel to the fire. “This man wants to politicize. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I won’t say them.” California is mobilizing additional water tankers to help fight these unprecedented fires in Los Angeles.
The water supply is in danger
The enormous water demands of the current firefighting efforts temporarily led to empty water tanks in the Pacific Palisades district, where the inferno is particularly raging. All three tanks in the area, each with a capacity of one million gallons (nearly 3.8 million liters), were empty early Wednesday (local time), leading to lower water pressure in fire hydrants there.
According to US media reports, Los Angeles Water and Power Authority chief engineer Janisse Quiñones said higher areas were affected. In a televised statement, Quiñones later emphasized that water was still flowing. Emergency plans were immediately activated and water tankers were deployed.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
