Los Angeles on fire

Trump attacks: “This incompetent governor!”

A Bank of America branch is on fire.

(Bild: AFP/JOSH EDELSON)

Devastating fires have left a trail of destruction in the Los Angeles area. The first fatalities have now been confirmed and the number of unreported cases is likely to be high. US President-elect Donald Trump is now launching an attack on the Democratic governor.

According to the US media, this is already one of the worst fire disasters in the history of Los Angeles. More than 130,000 people are on the run, leading to massive traffic jams. A local resident reported "chaotic scenes" to CNN. Austrians on the ground spoke to the "Krone" newspaper of a "fire of a new dimension". 

"We are using all available resources to fight these fires," said the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. His state is leaving no stone unturned to protect residents.

Newsom fears an increase in the number of victims. In an interview with CNN, he spoke of "utter destruction" and recalled the deadly inferno in Paradise, a town in northern California. It was almost completely destroyed by the Camp Fire in November 2018, killing 85 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Newsom takes a look at the situation. Thousands of firefighters are on duty.

(Bild: Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Trump goes on the offensive
Donald Trump has blamed the Californian governor for the extent of the devastating forest fires in the Los Angeles metropolis. Specifically, the Republican criticized Newsom's water-saving measures on his online mouthpiece Truth Social and accused him of not caring about the people in the US state.

"Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor let beautiful, clean, fresh water flow into California!" wrote Trump. Newsom bears responsibility for the situation.

Trump has often lashed out at prominent Democrat Newsom in the past and described his policies as radical. Water policy in California has been the subject of heated debate for years. Newsom has spoken out in favor of environmental regulations that limit the transfer of water in certain regions in order to protect endangered species.

Critics accuse Newsom of endangering agricultural businesses and fire protection as a result. 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 take Trump's criticism lying down (see tweet above). He accused the Republican of adding fuel to the fire. "This guy wants to politicize. I have countless thoughts on this, but I'm not going to say them." California is mobilizing additional water tankers to help fight these unprecedented fires in Los Angeles, he said.

Water supply on the brink
The enormous demand for water in the current firefighting operations has 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 (almost 3.8 million liters), were empty on Wednesday morning (local time), leading to lower water pressure at the hydrants there.

According to US media reports, the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Water and Power Authority, Janisse Quiñones, said that higher-lying areas were affected. In a televised statement, Quiñones later emphasized that water was still flowing. Emergency plans had been activated immediately and water tankers had been deployed.