Trump to visit California to see devastation caused by wildfires

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit California on Monday where officials will brief him on the devastation brought by the wildfires.

Mr Trump’s visit to the Golden State will follow two days of campaigning in Nevada, where his team has planned two major rallies.

The planned visit was announced by White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere.

At least 20 people have been killed in California as thousands of firefighters struggled to contain the blazes. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of structures have been destroyed and more than 3.1 million acres have burned, the Los Angeles Times reported.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday toured the areas hardest hit by the fires. He blamed climate change and vowed to redouble efforts to “decarbonise” the economy.

“The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California, observe it with your own eyes,” he said.

The states of Oregon and Washington have also been battling wildfires.

Mr Trump remained largely silent on the wildfires until Friday night, when he commended the “28,000+ Firefighters and other First Responders who are battling wildfires” across the west coast.

Behind the scenes, the Trump administration has issued a major disaster declaration that has provided support for local governments and emergency relief for evacuees and victims.

Images coming out of California show ominous smoke-filled skies above the charred remains of forest areas and some homes.

Officials say they are bracing for more casualties. Mr Newsom, who visited the North Complex Fire Zone on Friday, said “We anticipated that the number (of deaths) may potentially go up as we get back into areas that have been ravaged by flame and obviously, smoke begins to clear.”

Read more

California wildfires: Shocking time lapse footage from satellite shows spread of deadly blaze