California fires could be costliest disaster in US history, says governor

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California’s wildfires could be the costliest disaster in US history, the state’s governor said, as forecasts of high winds fueled fears the catastrophic blazes will spread further.

On NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Gavin Newsom said the fires, which have burned at least 22,000 acres, will be the worst the country has seen “just in terms of the costs involved. [and] in scale and scope.”

He added that “many more” deaths were likely to be confirmed.The death toll rose to 16 on Saturday night, according to Los Angeles authorities.

The prospect of gusty Santa Ana winds fanning the fires prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents late Saturday night, as fires threatened homes in the upscale Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood neighborhoods, though officials said they were making progress there.

The National Weather Service predicted gusts of 50 to 70 mph.

Newsom, a Democrat, responded to a barrage of attacks from President-elect Donald Trump, who accused the governor of depleting water supplies to protect endangered fish species and refusing to sign a “water restoration proclamation” that should have “authorized millions of gallons of water . . flow into many parts of California every day.” Newsom’s office said no such statement existed.

Trump, who has long been at odds with Newsom and referred to him as “Newscum,” also called on the Californian to resign, accusing him of “gross incompetence.”

“The reservoirs are full, the state reservoirs here in Southern California,” Newsome said.

“That error and misinformation, I don’t think, benefits or helps any of us,” he added. “We would spend another month responding to Donald Trump’s insults. I am very familiar with them. Every elected official with whom he disagrees is very familiar with them.”

Newsom also said he has invited the president-elect to visit the affected areas, but has yet to hear back from Trump’s transition team.

The governor said on social media that the Palisades and Eaton fires were 11 percent and 27 percent contained, and the Hearst fire was 89 percent contained. from falling into’ so they can rebuild quickly.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sunday raised the prospect of sending US troops to Los Angeles to help control the fire.

“There are active duty military personnel that are going to be deployed, ready to come in and continue to support firefighting efforts,” Dean Criswell told ABC’s This Week program spread the fire further.

An official estimate of the cost of the damage has not yet been released, but AccuWeather analysts estimated last week that the economic loss would be between $135 billion and $150 billion, down from the $250 billion associated with Hurricane Helen last year.

President Biden pledged Thursday that the US government would pay “100 percent of all costs” caused by the disaster and would ask Congress for more financial aid.

Trump, who threatened to withhold disaster funding from California last year, has so far been silent on whether he would provide such aid.On Sunday, he renewed his attacks on state officials.

“Incapacitated wrists do not know how to set [the fires] out,” he wrote. “There is death everywhere. This is one of the most terrible disasters in the history of our country. They simply cannot put out fires. What’s wrong with them?”