Trump orders FEMA to ‘send no more money’ to fire-ravaged California over ‘disgraceful’ forest management

Jan. 09--With California reeling after its worst-ever fire season, President Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday to suggest he will cut federal disaster aid to the Golden State, blaming its "disgraceful" forest management for the blazes.

The president "ordered" the Federal Emergency Management Agency "to send no more money," arguing "billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen."

The president's remark drew swift rebukes from both Democrats and Republicans as well as residents and public officials who lost homes and loved ones in November's Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive in state history.

"I almost died in this fire," said Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter, who lost his home as did several of his family members. "I just want some help for my people -- and I don't appreciate being a political pawn over that."

Newly elected Gov. Gavin Newsom, who a day earlier joined other Western governors in seeking federal help preventing wildfires, responded to Trump on Twitter that "disasters and recovery are no time for politics."

Even Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who represents the Paradise area destroyed by the Camp Fire, criticized the president.

"Threats to FEMA funding are not helpful and will not solve the longer term forest management regulatory problems," LaMalfa wrote in a statement on Twitter, adding that Trump "made the promise to help, and I expect him to keep it."

LaMalfa did, however, say he shared Trump's frustrations with "choking regulations from the stranglehold environmental groups have on the state."

It was not the first time Trump has threatened to pull federal funding for California over forest management and other matters ranging from immigration law enforcement to free speech policies at state universities.

And it was unclear Wednesday whether the president had actually ordered funding to be cut, or if he even had the authority to do so. A court in August blocked Trump's order withholding federal funds to "sanctuary cities" that frustrate federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The White House press office had no statement and did not respond to questions Wednesday morning about the FEMA funding. FEMA's external affairs adviser based in Sacramento, Brad Pierce, said Wednesday that "we here at this office are waiting for additional guidance, same as everyone else."

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November's Camp Fire killed 86 people and destroyed almost 19,000 homes, apartments, shops, offices and other buildings. It was among a trio of late-season wildfires, including the Woolsey fire near Malibu and followed July's deadly Carr fire near Redding and massive Mendocino complex fires, the largest on record.

The previous season saw an outbreak of deadly October wildfires that roared through the Wine Country and Mendocino County as well as the December 2017 Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

As he headed out to visit California's fire-ravaged regions in November, Trump also suggested that the state's "poor" forestry management has made it more vulnerable to disastrous wildfires and that federal aid might be cut if that didn't change.

State officials denied that their forestry management played a role in the recent wildfires, and suggested instead a warming climate is making wildfires worse. They also noted the Camp Fire is believed to have started in or near Plumas National Forest, spreading initially on federal property. More than half of all forest land in California is federally owned.

But during the president's November visit, with the fires still raging and the death toll rising, both sides tempered their remarks and tried to strike a cooperative tone.

"This is very sad to see," Trump said after that November tour of Butte County, a region of strong support for the Republican president in largely Democratic California. "The federal government is behind you."

In their Tuesday letter to President Trump, Newsom, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown asked for the federal government to double its funding for fire prevention efforts in national forests in the three states. Newsom said at a Tuesday news conference that the Trump Administration has cut that budget by $2 billion in recent years.

Newsom also proposed $305 million in new funding as part of his first state budget later this week to expand California's ability to fight wildfires and better alert residents.

It was unclear Wednesday in what ways the president believes the state's forest management falls short.

During his November visit, Trump mentioned that Finland, "a forest nation," spends "a lot of time raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem." Critics ridiculed the remark, noting the northern European country has a much different climate and questioning whether anyone there actually rakes its vast wilderness.

Newsom on Tuesday, however, cut the president some slack on that point in his news conference, suggesting Trump was referring to clearing brush around homes as "defensible space" which firefighters recommend.

Paradise Mayor Jody Jones, who was among those who lost homes and had met with Trump in November, said she had no comment Wednesday on the president's tweet.

But many Paradise residents who lost their homes like Cindy Hoover, who is now staying in a trailer, were outraged.

"Our world is upside down right now," said Hoover, who added that she didn't vote for Trump. "I'm just trying to function."

Tammy Mezera, 50, who has stayed in a tent at a Walmart parking lot and later on a couch in a church after her rented room in Paradise burned, has reapplied for FEMA aid after an earlier misunderstanding about the process. She said she didn't vote for Trump, and was dismayed by the tweet.

"I think the president is acting irresponsibly," Mezera said.

Staff Writer Julia Prodis Sulek contributed to this report.

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