Sen. Feinstein Issues Statement on Trump’s Comments on California Wildfires

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 -- The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, issued the following statement on the Trump administration's repeated assertion that California's wildfires are being fueled by a lack of water for firefighting:

"President Trump's politically motivated attacks on California are completely inappropriate when lives are at risk and show how little he understands about wildfire. Cal Fire has repeatedly said there is no shortage of water to fight these fires.

"The Trump administration is now doubling down on the president's ignorance. The premise of Secretary Ross' recent directive that environmental policies are blocking access to water for firefighting is ridiculously false and completely unhelpful.

"The fact is that years of historic drought due to rising global temperatures have left more than 129 million dead or dying trees in our state. Those conditions are now fueling the catastrophic blazes we're seeing. The Trump administration may choose to ignore the threats of climate change but we're feeling the effects every single day.

"Californians are resilient and will band together during these tough times. As the wildfires continue to burn, we'll work to protect lives and homes in the threatened communities. And in the aftermath, we'll help families recover and take the necessary steps to prevent future wildfires.

"I'd encourage President Trump to join us in that effort, or at the very least end his repeated false attacks and use that time to learn the facts on the ground."