Washington, Jan 10 (EFE).- United States President Joe Biden said on Friday that his team was coordinating with President-elect Donald Trump to manage the wildfires in California that have left at least 10 people dead and destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including homes.
“They know every single thing we’re doing about this response,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office at the White House.
Despite the cordial tone, Biden took an indirect swipe at Trump, whom he described as “someone from the other team,” by mocking his suggestion to clean up the forest floor to reduce the risk of fires. “Come on, man!” said the current president.
Biden believes a more effective solution is to bury the power lines, which would be “a hell of a lot safer,” although hugely expensive.
Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, claimed in recent days that he would do a better job of managing the crisis and blamed the fires on California Governor Gavin Newsom, one of the leaders of the Democratic Party.
Biden addressed the fire situation during an Oval Office briefing attended in person by Vice President Kamala Harris, while Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass connected remotely.
After the fires broke out on Jan. 7, Biden ordered the deployment of air and ground resources, including at least five air tankers, 10 helicopters, and dozens of trucks, to help California authorities fight the blazes.
In addition, the president approved a major disaster declaration, which allows the federal government to provide more resources to states affected by the emergency.
On Friday, the Pentagon reported that more than 600 National Guard reservists are participating in firefighting efforts in California, while hundreds of Marines and other service are on standby to respond if needed.
Since the fires started, more than 36,294 acres have burned, an area equivalent to Miami city and other major cities such as Boston or San Francisco. EFE
bpm/dgp
