Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Saturday, Jan. 11, announced that she has invited President-elect Donald Trump to come survey the damage from the wildfires and witness first-hand the recovery effort in the region.
In a letter, she noted her role as the chairperson of the Board of Supervisors, formally inviting the president-to-be to see both the devastation from Palisades fire and the Eaton fire and the surrounding areas.
“By accepting this invitation, Mr. President-Elect, you will join us in supporting our citizenry and thanking our heroic first responders, who have risked their own lives to save others. We would also ask you, as our President, to stand with the people of Los Angeles County as we set our course to rebuild. Your presence would be deeply felt and appreciated.”
In the letter, Barger cites that, collectively, the Eaton, Palisades, Hurst, Creek, Lidia, and Kenneth Fires have burnt over 35,000 acres, destroying tens of thousands of residences and businesses. The fires have also caused hundreds of thousands of County residents to be displaced or rendered completely homeless and have tragically killed at least 11 people.
Barger’s office noted that in November 2018, in his first term as president, Trump issued a Major Disaster and Emergency Declaration for the Woolsey Fire, which devastated Malibu and its surrounding communities.
President Joseph Biden has unlocked disaster funding to aid in the current effort, and local officials hope that in the transition to the Trump administration, Trump, who is inaugurated on Jan. 20, to continue such support.