Trump tells California more ‘raking and cleaning’ needed to prevent wildfires

Nov. 18--President Trump surveyed the still-smoldering remains of an RV park on Saturday, assessed the catastrophic devastation wrought by California's deadliest wildfire, and told Golden State officials they need to do more "raking and cleaning."

At least 76 people have died and more than 1,300 others are reported missing, authorities said as Trump toured the apocalyptic landscape ravaged by blazes a week after drawing criticism for threatening to cut off federal funds to the state.

"We're going to have to work quickly. ... Hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one," Trump said as he walked among the rubble where the Skyway Villa Mobile Home and RV Park once stood.

"I think everybody's seen the light and I don't think we'll have this again to this extent," Trump said in Paradise, the town largely destroyed by a wildfire ignited Nov. 8 that he called "this monster."

"I think people have to see this really to understand it," he added.

An acrid stench of hung in the air as the President passed burned-out cars and house foundations. Skeletal and lifeless-looking trees arched over twisted steel and solitary chimneys.

Nodding toward the remnants of Paradise, Trump promised that state and federal partners would "get this cleaned up" and "take care of the floors of the forest."

The President, who spent much of his day with Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, returned to his criticisms of forest management -- and made an eyebrow-raising comparison to an Arctic nation.

"Other countries do it differently, it's a whole different story," Trump said, citing purported comments from the president of Finland on how the Nordic country manages its forests.

He said they engage in "raking and cleaning things and they don't have any problem."

California has 33 million acres of forest, according to a University of California web page. Federal agencies overseen by the Trump administration own and manage about 19 million acres of that total.

"I perhaps wouldn't compare Finland and California climate-wise..." tweeted Veli-Pekka Kivimäki, a Finnish defense researcher. "And besides, 80% of the country is classified as forest land. We don't exactly manicure all of it."

While experts agree that tree clearing and other forest management work is necessary, the Trump administration has proposed slashing tens of millions of dollars from the Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service budgets.

Asked at one point if the massive fire had changed his mind on climate change, Trump said: "No, no."

"I have a strong opinion. I want a great climate," he added.

Fire and forest management experts slammed Trump last weekend for blaming the wildfires on poor forest management and misappropriation of funds. "Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!" Trump vowed on Twitter.

Wildfires are a result of a combination of factors and both Mother Nature and humans share blame, fire scientists say. Despite the President's claims, forest management did not play a major role in the recent spate of blazes.

Dangerous winds have whipped the fires, and experts agree that human-caused climate change is killing and drying shrubs and trees that fuel the flames.

Critics took to Twitter to criticize the President for his misinformed comments, using the hashtag #RakeAmericaGreatAgain.

Brown, a Democrat who has battled Trump's view of climate change, did not respond to the President's statements, but said there was work to be done.

"If you really look at the facts, from a really open point of view, there are a lot of elements to be considered," Brown said after Trump spoke. "The president came, he saw and I'm looking forward over the next months and beyond to really understand this threat of fire, the whole matter of drought and all the rest of it. It's not one thing, it's a lot of things and I think that if we just open our minds and look at things we'll get more stuff done."

More than 5,500 fire personnel are still battling the blaze that covered 228 square miles and is only about 50% contained, officials said.

The President also toured an operation center, met with response commanders and praised the work of firefighters, law enforcement and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"We've never seen anything like this in California," Trump said.

Air Force One touched down Saturday amid the haze at Beale Air Force Base, about 36 miles south of where the Camp Fire has scorched its way across California's northern forests.

Trump took a helicopter tour to get a bird's eye view en route to Chico, a city near the fire's edge. Then he hit the ground to visit what was once Paradise.

The Camp Fire, already the state's deadliest, has burned 148,000 acres and destroyed 12,263 structures in total, officials said. It could take weeks to fully extinguish the blaze and complete the search for victims and identify them. Thousands have been forced from their homes and are living in shelters and tent cities.

A second fire in Southern California has burned more than 500 structures and killed three people. The Woolsey Fire destroyed hundreds of homes around the tony seaside enclave of Malibu.

Later, Trump made his way 500 miles south to visit survivors of the recent shooting at a country bar in Thousand Oaks, outside of Los Angeles.

A gunman killed a dozen people at the Borderline Bar & Grill on Nov. 7 before committing suicide. Trump took heat for describing the ex-Marine who pulled the trigger at the bar as a "very sick guy" and insinuated he suffered from PTSD.

The Woolsey Fire swept through the area just days later.

Reporters were not present when Trump met survivors and relatives of victims of the Thousand Oaks shooting.

"What can you say other than it's so sad to see. These are great people. Great families, torn apart," the President later told reporters. "We just hugged them and we kissed them -- and everybody. And it was very warm."

"This has been a tough day when you look at all of the death from one place to the next," Trump said before he flew back to Washington.

* Fires

* Wildfires

* Homicide

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