Biden celebrates great-granddaughter, takes no questions at California wildfire briefing with Newsom

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Gov. Newsom and authorities brief President Biden on raging California wildfires

President Biden is updated on progress in the quest to contain the out-of-control fires plaguing the state.

President Biden on Wednesday made some brief and off-topic remarks after meeting with firefighting officials about the fierce wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area.

“We’re prepared to do anything and everything as long as it takes to contain these fires and help reconstruct, make sure that we can get back to normal,” Biden, who was there to sign a disaster declaration alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said. 

“It’s gonna be a hell of a long way. It’s gonna take time. But the government is here to stay, as long as you need us. Give everything you need. Anything you asked and haven’t gotten yet?” he continued.

Newsom thanked Biden for federal support in the fight.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, FORCING THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES

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  President Biden was briefed by Southern California fire officials and said he was there to sign a major disaster declaration.  (CBS Pool)

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  Fire officials informed President Biden, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the public on the latest firefighting efforts in Southern California.  (CBS Pool)

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  President Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are seen following a briefing about the devastating southern California wildfires on Wednesday. (CBS Pool)

“It’s impossible for me to express the level of appreciation,” he said.

Biden then took the meeting in an unexpected direction, announcing that he had become a great-grandfather and celebrating the birth of his eldest granddaughter’s first child.

“The good news is I’m a great-grandfather as of today,” Biden said before declining questions from reporters.

Kristin Crowley, the Los Angeles fire chief, said her team knew there was a “significant threat” from the Pacific Palisades fire as soon as it started because of the “high, high, high winds.”

Crowley said she’d never seen anything like the wind conditions in her 25 years of experience.

PALISADES FIRE: ‘GENERAL HOSPITAL’ STAR CAMERON MATHISON’S HOME DESTROYED AS CELEBS FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD

Thick, heavy smoke from wildfires shrouds downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Richard Vogel)

At least two people have died and more than 30,000 are evacuated as a result of the fires that have consumed a total of about 22 square miles. 

President-elect Trump used a derisive nickname for Newsom and renewed old criticisms against the governor for resisting a plan to send more water to the state’s agricultural Central Valley because of concerns it would imperil endangered species in a Truth Social on Wednesday.

A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday. (Chris Pizzello)

Trump has sided with farmers over environmentalists in a long-running dispute over California’s scarce water resources, but it’s not clear how his plan could have mitigated the firestorm in the Los Angeles area.

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California,” Trump said of Newsom in his post Wednesday. “Now the ultimate price is being paid.”

The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Ethan Swope)

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His comments came after some fire hydrants across Los Angeles County ran out of water amid the overnight firefight.

Officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works said that was due to an overwhelming demand on the municipal water system not designed to fight wildfires.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Related Topics

• Los Angeles
• California
• West
• US Fires
• Disasters
• Joe Biden
• Natural Disasters