California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of President-elect Donald Trump's top political adversaries, has shifted his focus in recent days from gearing up for legal battles against the incoming Republican administration to prioritizing the state’s response to destructive wildfires around Los Angeles.

It is the strongest response Newsom has made so far in the week since the fires first erupted in the Los Angeles area.

New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz has labelled California Governor Gavin Newsom as “incompetent” after he deflected responsibility over the LA wildfires.

Cal Fire’s total base wildfire protection budget has nearly tripled over the past 10 years, from $1.1 billion in 2014‑15 to $3 billion in 2023‑24.

Just over $100 million was cut from California's wildfire and forest resilience fund in the latest budget, though total spending has grown sharply since 2014.