Washington, January 10, 2025 – The Europe Today: U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday described the wildfires devastating Los Angeles as the worst in California’s history, pledging extensive federal resources and funds to aid the state in its recovery.
“This is the most widespread, devastating fire in California’s history,” Biden said during a special meeting with senior administration officials at the White House. Highlighting the dire situation, he called the scenes in Los Angeles a “nightmare” and praised firefighters as “heroes” for their courage in confronting the inferno.
Biden canceled a planned trip to Rome to remain in Washington and oversee the federal response to the crisis. The wildfires, which have claimed at least five lives, have prompted urgent action from the federal government.
At the request of California Governor Gavin Newsom, Biden announced that the federal government would cover 100 percent of the disaster response costs for the first 180 days. Additionally, he committed to deploying 400 federal firefighters, 30 firefighting aircraft, and eight large planes from the Pentagon, alongside 500 personnel for wildfire clearance operations.
Vice President Kamala Harris, a California native, described the fires as “apocalyptic” and expressed concern over reports of insurance companies canceling policies for families who lost property in the blaze.
Biden also addressed misinformation circulating about the disaster, refuting claims by incoming President Donald Trump that water shortages were hindering firefighting efforts. Instead, Biden explained that power outages caused by utility companies shutting down electricity to prevent further fires had taken water pumps offline, complicating firefighting operations.
Trump, set to be inaugurated for his second term on January 20, has used the disaster to criticize Biden and Governor Newsom, intensifying political tensions over the response to the crisis.
The wildfires have underscored the urgency of addressing climate-related disasters, with Biden reaffirming his administration’s commitment to supporting affected communities and bolstering disaster preparedness nationwide.
