As the Camp, Rincon and Woolsey wildfires are devouring homes and threatening lives across Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties in California, President Donald Trump has chosen to respond with an irresponsible, reckless and insulting tweet criticizing the work being done on the frontline to contain these disasters. While fire fighters and civilians are still in harm’s way, the president even suggested cutting off necessary funding to keep Americans safe.
“The early moments of fires such as these are a critical time, when lives are lost, entire communities are wiped off the map and our members are injured or killed trying to stop these monstrous wildfires,” said Harold Schaitberger, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). “To minimize the crucial, life-saving work being done and to make crass suggestions such as cutting off funding during a time of crisis shows a troubling lack of real comprehension about the disaster at hand and the dangerous job our fire fighters do.
“His comments are reckless and insulting to the fire fighters and people being affected.”
Since the three wildfires erupted early Thursday, thousands of IAFF members have responded to the frontlines to assist in rescuing and evacuating people in the path of danger while working feverishly to contain the flames, even as their own families are being evacuated and their homes destroyed.
