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President Donald Trump said he went to the heart of the fire that killed California to understand the extent of the damage caused by the landscape (November 17).
AP
President Donald Trump meets in a destroyed neighborhood with elected governor, Gavin Newsom, California Governor, Jerry Brown, and Paradise Mayor, Jody Jones, during a visit to areas affected by the fires, Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Paradise Calif. .(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)
President Donald Trump, who was threatening to cut federal funding for California, pledged "substantial" funding in the wake of the terrible fires that ravaged the state, Governor Jerry Brown said on Sunday.
Brown, speaking on CBS & # 39; Face the Nation, called Trump's promise a "great, great victory" for his state.
"The president not only signed a presidential statement granting substantial funding to California, but he also promised to continue helping us," said Mr. Brown, "that he was behind us." I found that very positive. "
Brown spoke a day after Trump visited the burnt remains of Paradise, a town of 27,000 that was destroyed when a forest fire erupted two weeks ago. The camp fire killed 76 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 homes in the area.
The fire, which burned 235 square kilometers, was controlled to 60% Sunday, reported Cal Fire. More than 1,000 people went missing.
"At the moment, we want to deal with people who have been so badly injured," Trump said during his Saturday tour of the devastation. "It's very sad to see."
Brown, a Democrat who often disagrees with the president, acknowledged Sunday that there had been controversial "exchanges" between Trump and California leaders in the past.
"But in the face of this tragedy, people tend to override some of their more modest leanings," Brown said. "So I think we're on the right track."
A few days after the camp's fire began to burn, Trump tweeted a threat to withhold federal payments to California, accusing the state of "mediocre" management of the forest.
"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and expensive fires in California," Trump tweeted. "Billions of dollars are given every year, with so many lives lost, all because of the blatant mismanagement of the forests – cure now, or more of the Fed's payments!"
More: "It's very sad to see": Trump investigates the damage caused by California wildfires
More: Dog found 'protecting the only house that stays on the block & # 39; after the camp fire
Brown said Sunday that long-term forest health would require a reduction in carbon emissions. He added that he had not insisted that climate change was a crucial factor in the rise of more deadly and destructive fires that the state has fought in recent years.
"You can think about science, but I will tell you that every year it will become more and more clear," said Brown. "I think in less than five years, even the worst skeptics will be believers."
He said that the camp fire was moving at 100 meters per second, blocking residents with no chance of escaping.
"If you are going to live as close to the forest, if the climate is to continue to change, you will have to build some sort of underground shelter," Brown said. "So that you can come in and protect yourself."
Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/18/california-fires-gov-brown-says-trump-has-got-out-back/2047825002/
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