Trump inexplicably blames California wildfires on the state's 'bad environmental laws'

An air tanker drops fire retardant in Northern California.
(Image credit: Noah Berger/AFP/Getty Images)

On Sunday night, President Trump finally said something about the deadly wildfires raging in California, but instead of words of comfort for the victims, he blamed the state for what's going on.

There are 17 major fires burning across California right now, some started by arson, others by accidental sparks, and most fueled by dry brush caused by drought, high temperatures, and strong winds. At least nine people have died over the last week, hundreds of homes and thousands of acres of wildlife habitat have been destroyed, and an unknown number of animals are hurt. Trump tweeted that the wildfires are "being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren't allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!"

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.