When wild fires were devastating the West Coast, President Trump had only supportive things to say about those dealing with them.
He first tweeted,
“There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”
He followed this with,
“With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get smart!”
See? Total support.
There is a reason for them, however.
Besides drought, as populations increase in once rural areas placing buildings, plants, vehicles and other ignition sources in fire-prone areas, the risk of fires increases.
Wildfires are sparked and spread in populated areas and open fields, fueled by parched vegetation, high winds, low humidity and geography, especially when drought-like conditions have transformed densely packed forests into a bed of kindling just waiting to be set off by a stray park. They are not limited to poorly raked forests.
The leaders of firefighter organizations, who saw this for what it was, accused the president of bringing politics into a devastating disaster that burned 108,000 acres in the Camp Fire in Northern California, 83,275 acres in the Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles, and 4,531 acres in the Hill fire in Ventura County.
It seems odd that in one breath the president condemns forest management as the source of fires, but then in the next suggests that the funds that could be used to improve the system and the training of the managers be cut.
One solution that Trump offered to prevent forest fires was,
“You gotta take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important. You look at other countries where they do it differently and it’s a whole different story. I was with the president of Finland and he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don’t have any problem. And when they do, it’s a very small problem.”
Finland was quick to point out it does not rake its forests.
But, as Trump finds fault with those who manage our forests and have to deal with any fires, and suggests reducing funding as a form of punishment, he initiated a phone call to Vladimir Putin offering help in putting out vast wildfires raging in Siberia.
This, of course, would involve money, equipment, and people. Putin told Trump that he would take him up on his offer if necessary.
The fires are blazing in a mostly remote forest the size of Belgium.
The White House confirmed the two men had spoken by phone.
I wonder if Trump will send some of the firefighters, be they from the forest service or the military, who he so blithely insulted during our wild fires, and if he will add rakes for Russia in his next budget.