Newsom Reflects on LA Wildfires and Response

California Governor Gavin Newsom shared his vivid experiences during the 2025 wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, claiming he was “physically in the thick of the firefighting.” This revelation comes months after he recounted a moment when his hair reportedly caught fire amidst the flames.

During an interview that aired on Monday, Newsom described last January’s catastrophic fires, which tragically claimed at least 31 lives and resulted in the destruction of approximately 18,000 homes and structures. “It felt like a bomb had gone off. There’s no other way to describe it,” he told MS NOW’s Jacob Soboroff.

He emphasized his direct involvement, stating he was on-site shortly after the fire, observing the response efforts firsthand. “I was at the base of the mountain, physically there in the midst of the firefighting, and experienced first-hand how first responders respond,” he noted.

Previously, he recounted to podcaster Sean Ryan that his slicked-back hair “literally burst” into flames after getting too close to the fire on January 7, with embers falling on his head. “When we all turned around, I was on the hill with them, and my hair literally exploded. I have a video of that,” he shared in July, recalling how personnel urgently helped him into a car while brushing off the embers.

A deputy chief from Cal Fire mentioned that he had to “swat and brush” the embers out of Newsom’s hair, corroborating the fiery encounter without showing the exact moment in video footage supplied by the governor’s office.

Looking ahead, Newsom plans to visit Los Angeles this week, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the wildfires. As residents continue to mobilize their recovery efforts, protests are emerging in areas such as Palisades and Altadena. Locals express frustration and are calling for federal assistance, disaster relief, and enhanced reconstruction efforts.

Newsom is set to meet with fire victims on January 7, as previously reported.

He acknowledged that the city has achieved “amazing progress” in recovery since the disaster, but criticized former President Trump for failing to ask Congress for roughly $34 billion in federal disaster aid. “They couldn’t engage at any time, even for a moment,” he remarked.

As he gears up for a potential presidential run in 2028, Newsom reiterated his opposition to Trump, urging voters to reflect on the president’s response to the fires. “I’m still out there and I have the backs of the people that are out there,” he stated, acknowledging the anger and frustration among residents. “Unlike the president of the United States, we haven’t done anything terrible, we haven’t lifted a finger,” he added, inviting comparisons between his actions and Trump’s responses.