Biden attends California wildfire briefing with Newsom, celebrates great-granddaughter.

Gov Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden discussed the California wildfires during a briefing.

Biden attends California wildfire briefing with Newsom, celebrates great-granddaughter.
Biden attends California wildfire briefing with Newsom, celebrates great-granddaughter.

After meeting with firefighting officials about the wildfires in Los Angeles, President Biden made some brief and unrelated comments.

Biden, who was present to sign a disaster declaration with Gov. Gavin Newsom, stated that we are ready to do anything and everything necessary to control these fires and restore normalcy.

The journey will be arduous and time-consuming, but the government will remain steadfast and available to assist you. Please provide all the necessary resources and we will fulfill any unfulfilled requests.

Newsom thanked Biden for federal support in the fight.

Biden fire briefing in CA
President Joe Biden was briefed by fire officials and said he was there to sign a major disaster declaration.  (CBS Pool)

He stated that it was impossible for him to convey the extent of his gratitude.

Biden announced that he had become a great-grandfather and celebrated the birth of his eldest granddaughter's first child during a meeting.

The Los Angeles fire chief, Kristin Crowley, stated that her team recognized the "significant threat" posed by the Pacific Palisades fire from the beginning due to the "high, high, high winds."

In her 25 years of experience, Crowley had never witnessed wind conditions like the ones she saw.

Los Angeles downtown smoke due to wildfire
Thick heavy smoke from wildfires shrouds downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.  (Richard Vogel)

A total of 22 square miles have been consumed by fires that resulted in the deaths of at least two people and the evacuation of more than 30,000 individuals.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump, the president-elect, criticized Governor Gavin Newsom for opposing a plan to increase water supply to the agricultural Central Valley, citing concerns for endangered species, in a post on Truth Social.

CA man walks by burning church
A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in in Pasadena, Calif. (Chris Pizzello)

Trump has supported farmers over environmentalists in a prolonged conflict over California's limited water resources, but it is unclear how his strategy could have prevented the wildfires in the Los Angeles region.

""Trump stated in a post on Wednesday that he wanted to safeguard a fish called a smelt, which is essentially worthless, by reducing the amount of water it received, but disregarded the people of California. The ultimate cost is now being incurred," he said."

Palisades fire burns Christmas tree in home
The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Ethan Swope)

Amid the overnight firefight, some fire hydrants across Los Angeles County ran out of water, prompting his comments.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works officials stated that the reason for the water shortage was due to the high demand on the municipal water system, which was not designed to fight wildfires.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

by Pilar Arias

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