President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold federal disaster aid for wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles unless California leaders change the state's approach on its management of water. In a Fox News interview,
Dozens of people are believed to have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have burned down whole swaths of communities
"I don’t like when companies or rich people ask their fans to make their donations for them," the actor wrote on social media.
The Hughes Fire has spread over 8,096 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.
The recent wildfires have left Los Angeles -- the second-largest city in the United States and home to the country's rich and famous -- in rubble.
In recent weeks, Trump and his allies — notably billionaire Elon Musk on his X platform — have attacked Newsom's leadership and at times promoted misinformation about California's response. And House Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested there should be conditions on federal wildfire aid to force changes in California.
In the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, several companies with ties to the region have donated millions.
Some schools destroyed years ago in the Sonoma and Butte county fires are just now reopening. The long, expensive process of rebuilding in LA may eat up much of the money voters approved in November for school repairs statewide.
The Palisades Fire, which started on Jan. 7, has burned 23,713 acres and has destroyed 5,828 structures, including homes and businesses, according to an update from Cal Fire on Monday. At least 10 fire-related deaths have been reported in the Palisades Fire.
Bryan Strehl, 26, drove up to Upper Hastings Ranch to survey the familiar area. He was born and raised in Pasadena and teaches at Altadena elementary school, where, he said, six of his students and a colleague lost their homes in the Eaton fire.