Trump lambasts California leaders over fire response

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday sharpened his criticism of California’s handling of the wildfires roaring around Los Angeles, as the state’s governor urged him to come witness the damage in person.

“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols (politicians) have no idea how to put them out,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

“This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” he wrote.

Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, long a target of Trump’s criticism, pushed back in an interview which aired on Sunday, but also offered a conciliatory hand.

“Responding to Donald Trump’s insults, we would spend another month,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Every elected official that he disagrees with is very familiar with them.”

But in a pivot, the governor added, “I called for him to come out, take a look for himself. We want to do it in the spirit of an open hand, not a closed fist. He’s the president-elect.”

He said he had received no response from Trump to his invitation so far.

Trump has frequently clashed with Newsom, a man seen as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, and in the past week the president-elect revived his dismissive nickname: “Newscum.”

But perhaps heedful of Trump’s past threat - in a dispute over water management - that if elected he might cut federal wildfire aid to California, Newsom tempered his own approach.

“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicise human tragedy or spread disinformation,” he wrote in a letter to Trump shared on social media.

“I invite you to come to California again - to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line.”

“That’s his style... we take it seriously,” the governor told NBC of Trump’s threat to cut off funding.

State and local officials in California have faced searing criticism as Trump and other Republicans, as well as those whose homes have burned or been threatened, have demanded answers about the state’s planning and preparedness.

The fires have so far killed at least 16 people, displaced 150,000 more, and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, according to state officials.

“Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place,” Trump said in his post.

US officials warned “dangerous and strong” winds were set to push deadly wildfires further through Los Angeles residential areas on Sunday as firefighters struggled to make progress against the flames.

Despite massive efforts, including precision sorties from aerial crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow, spreading east towards the priceless collections of the Getty Centre art museum and north to the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

“The winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again,” Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN.

“The biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous.”

A brief lull in the wind gave way to gusts that forecasters warned could reach up to 80 kilometres per hour early on Sunday, and feed the blazes for days to come.

The winds were due to weaken later Sunday before picking up again overnight, the National Weather Service said.

The Palisades Fire was 11 per cent contained but had grown to 23,600 acres, while the Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres and 15 per cent contained.

Official figures show more than 12,000 structures burned, though Cal Fire’s Todd Hopkins said not all were houses and the number included outbuildings, trailers and sheds.

In some areas, the ferocious fire left streaks of molten metal flowing from burnt-out cars.

The sudden rush of evacuated people needing somewhere to live posed a growing problem for the city.

“I’m back on the market with tens of thousands of people,” said a man who gave his name as Brian, whose rent-controlled apartment has burned. “That doesn’t bode well.”

Agencies