Trump Admin Rejects Wildfires Relief For California

The New York Times reports:

The Trump administration has rejected California’s request for disaster relief aid for six major wildfires that scorched more than 1.8 million acres in land, destroyed thousands of structures and caused at least three deaths last month.

The rejection of aid late Thursday, a rare move in cases of disasters on the scale of California’s fires, escalated a long-running feud between the Trump administration and California on the issues of climate change and forest management.

The handling of wildfires has become highly politicized during Mr. Trump’s presidency. Last year, the president threatened to cut off funding for wildfire relief unless California improved the management of its forests.

A majority of California’s forests are under federal control.