The White House announced Wednesday that President Biden is canceling a trip to Italy this weekend due to fires burning in Los Angeles County.
“President Biden will be scheduled to return this evening from Los Angeles, where he met with police, fire and emergency personnel battling historic fires raging in the area earlier today and approved a major disaster declaration for California. “Italy remains committed to directing a full federal response,” Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Biden was scheduled to depart for Italy on Thursday and meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis at the Vatican.
at least 5 peoplewas killeda fire has spread through parts of Los Angeles County this week, forcing thousands of people to evacuate as strong winds made fighting the fire even more difficult.
Biden met with firefighters and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Democratic) at a news conference early Wednesday at a fire station in Santa Monica, Calif., and described the fires as “astonishing” and called for a full-scale federal government response. promised support.
Firefighters are battling three separate fires in Los Angeles County, officials said. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Tony Malone told Biden that his department was receiving assistance from firefighters in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
The White House said it was ramping up resources to affected areas in California, including five Forest Service air tankers, 10 federal firefighting helicopters and dozens of Forest Service fire engines.
