President Biden gathers senior White House and administration officials for a comprehensive briefing on the federal response to the Los Angeles wildfires. Vice President Harris is also in attendance to discuss the coordinated efforts.
#Biden #JoeBiden #PresidentBiden #LosAngelesWildfires #FederalResponse #WildfireRelief #EmergencyResponse #DisasterManagement #ClimateAction #WhiteHouseUpdate #VicePresidentHarris #PresidentialLeadership #WildfireSupport
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#Biden #JoeBiden #PresidentBiden #LosAngelesWildfires #FederalResponse #WildfireRelief #EmergencyResponse #DisasterManagement #ClimateAction #WhiteHouseUpdate #VicePresidentHarris #PresidentialLeadership #WildfireSupport
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well, good afternoon.
00:02I returned from Los Angeles last night,
00:04and the devastation out there is catastrophic in California.
00:11Thousands of houses, schools, businesses burned to the ground.
00:15Communities wiped out, lives lost,
00:18families forever changed.
00:20They're the worst fires to ever hit Los Angeles, ever.
00:23And as soon as these fires broke out,
00:25I approved the Fire Management Assistance Grant.
00:28It's a term of art in how we get help to local officials.
00:33These grants cover California's firefighting costs
00:36for things like firefighting equipment,
00:39firefighter salaries,
00:41and special capabilities like aircraft.
00:44Next, yesterday, I approved —
00:46immediately approved Governor Newsom's request
00:48for what they call — and I know this is —
00:52all sounds like government talk,
00:54but it's called the Major Disaster Declaration.
00:58This declaration allows folks at the request —
01:01this is at the request of the governor —
01:03this folks — this allows —
01:06the declaration allows folks who have been impacted
01:09to get immediate cash assistance to cover things
01:12like everything from groceries to baby formula to prescription.
01:18Because as you've seen on — and you've reported,
01:21a lot of these places are burned to the ground.
01:23There's not a single thing left in their homes.
01:26And so, that by — if they contact DisasterAssistance.gov —
01:32anybody who's lost everything or anything of consequence —
01:36DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-2 —
01:42or, excuse me, 1-800-2 — I beg your pardon.
01:461-800-621-3362.
01:51That's what they — DisasterAssistance.gov.
01:541-800-621-3362 to get the kind of help
01:58they need for everything from the basics
02:00that they don't have access to right now.
02:03And this morning, due to the magnitude of the disaster,
02:07I was talking with the governor,
02:08and he requested if I could increase the federal funding
02:11that was authorized under this legislation for —
02:15from 75 percent to 90 percent.
02:19We're increasing it to 100 percent of all the costs
02:22to be covered by the federal government.
02:24For both the Fire Management Assistance Grants
02:26and the elements of what they call the Disaster Declaration.
02:30So, today, I'm announcing that the federal government
02:33will cover 100 percent of the cost for 180 days.
02:38This is going to pay for things like debris
02:40and hazard material removal, temporary shelters,
02:44first responders' salaries,
02:46and all necessary measures to protect life and property.
02:50And, folks, I want to underscore —
02:52I told the governor and local officials,
02:53spare no expense to do what they need to do
02:56and contain these fires and — in their communities
02:59that have really been devastating.
03:02And we're doing literally everything
03:04we can at a federal level.
03:06That's also why I called this group of folks
03:09around this table of all relevant federal departments
03:12and agencies together to discuss what more we can do.
03:15And some of the folks around the screen as well.
03:18Before we begin things, here's an update
03:20on where things stand right now.
03:22First — first, we focused on helping contain these fires.
03:27Over the last 24 hours, the United States Forest Service,
03:32working with state and local responders,
03:34has suppressed over 50 fire starts.
03:38And the fire in the Hollywood Hills
03:40has been contained by brave firefighters
03:42risking their lives.
03:43Right now, three major fires are still burning —
03:47in the Pacific Palisades, in Pasadena, and in Sylmar.
03:52I want to be clear.
03:54What I know from talking to the governor
03:56that there are concerns out there
03:58that there's also been a water shortage.
04:02The fact is, the utilities understandably shut off power
04:06because they're worried the lines that they're —
04:09they carry the energy were going to be blown down
04:13and spark additional fires.
04:15But the Cal Fire — and when it did that,
04:18it cut off the ability to generate pumping in the water.
04:22That's what caused the lack of water in these hydrants.
04:25And so, Cal Fire is bringing in generators
04:28to get these pumps up and working again
04:31so that there are no longer a shortage of water
04:34coming out of these hydrants.
04:37I'm also surging all federal resources possible
04:40to Southern California,
04:42including 400 additional federal firefighters,
04:46over 30 — over 30 firefighting helicopters and planes.
04:51Federally supplied firefighting planes and helicopters.
04:56And eight Department of Defense C-130s
05:00that are equipped to suppress wildfires.
05:03Today, the Secretary of Defense also authorized
05:07500 wildfire ground-clearing personnel
05:10from the Defense Department.
05:12And I've directed the department to continue working
05:14with Governor Newsom to identify additional resources
05:18that can be provided for public safety and security.
05:21And we've secured additional firefighters
05:24and firefighting aircraft from our ally in Canada as well.
05:29I also want everyone in Southern California
05:31to know we're going to keep at it.
05:33We're sticking with this.
05:34We expect there may be a temporary break in the winds,
05:37but in some areas, the winds are likely to continue
05:40well into next week.
05:42And so we're going to continue to spend —
05:45spend — sending everything, literally,
05:48every resource we can find that's appropriate
05:51to help the governor and the first responders.
05:53Second, we're focused on helping people who have been displaced
05:57or, in many cases, lost everything.
05:59You've reported on — you've seen the homes
06:01just burned to the ground.
06:02The whole area is burned to the ground.
06:05Large areas. They've been displaced
06:07and they've lost everything.
06:08As I said, since the fire started,
06:12FEMA has been working with state —
06:13the state to help residents get shelter,
06:17groceries, prescriptions, and other critical goods
06:19like baby formula.
06:21We're also sent FEMA Director Criswell to Los Angeles
06:25to manage our response on the ground.
06:28She was supposed to be on this call,
06:29but we have a deputy here because she is out in the field
06:32with the governor right now surveying what's going on.
06:36Let me close with a message to the people
06:37of Southern California.
06:39We are with you. We're not going anywhere.
06:42To the firefighters and first responders, you are heroes.
06:46Many of these firefighters are out there risking their lives
06:49and some — well, I won't go beyond that,
06:51but risking their lives.
06:53And while their own homes are in danger,
06:56their families are in danger.
06:58To the firefighters and first responders, you really are.
07:01It's not hyperbole six. You're heroes.
07:03You're genuinely heroes.
07:05And the worst — you know, this is the most widespread
07:08devastating fire in California's history.
07:10It's amazing. And there's nobody who understands it
07:13better than the pressman covering this
07:15on a minute-to-minute basis.
07:17And you literally have to run into the flames,
07:20these firefighters.
07:21You know, that old expression, God made man,
07:24then he made a few firefighters, who runs in the flames.
07:28You know, in doing so, you're leaving your own families
07:31and who may be in harm's way as well.
07:33So we owe you.
07:35And we're going to make sure that you get every resource
07:37you need — every possible resource you need.
07:41You know, to the families who have been impacted
07:44by this disaster, you're living through a nightmare.
07:47I know. And I promise you,
07:49we're going to help you get through this
07:50and eventually recover and rebuild.
07:53I want to turn it over now to the Vice President
07:55before we go on to the folks in the various Cabinet positions,
08:01as well as agencies that control these issues.
08:04Madam Vice President, I know you're directly affected,
08:07so you're far away. No pun intended.
08:11Indeed. Thank you, Mr. President,
08:13and also for the work that everyone around this table
08:16has been doing with the appropriate sense of urgency,
08:20because this is an urgent matter.
08:23What we have seen in California,
08:25and in particular in Southern California,
08:28is apocalyptic in terms of the nature of it
08:32and the unprecedented nature of it as well.
08:35And what we are seeing is a situation
08:38that is extremely dynamic. It is very much in play
08:43and, to some degree, unpredictable,
08:46because we are literally waiting to see which way the wind blows.
08:51And I cannot praise enough the local leaders,
08:55most of whom I have talked with,
08:58and, in particular, our firefighters,
09:01who, as the President has said,
09:03they are working around the clock.
09:05They are working 12-hour, even longer shifts,
09:10and they are doing it with a sense of optimism,
09:15but also with an understanding of how serious this moment is
09:19and how important their work is to real lives and real people.
09:25Thousands of families have been displaced,
09:28many of those families with young children,
09:31with nowhere to go.
09:33And what we know is that this is a matter of current urgency,
09:38but this is also something that is going to have an impact
09:41for months and years to come.
09:45And on that point, I will also make note of the fact
09:48that, sadly, many insurance companies
09:51have canceled insurance for a lot of the families
09:55who have been affected and will be affected,
09:57which is only going to delay or place an added burden
10:01on their ability to recover.
10:04And I think that is an important point that must be raised,
10:08and hopefully there can be some way to address that issue,
10:12because these families, so many of them,
10:13otherwise will not have the resources
10:16to recover in any meaningful way.
10:20And many of them have lost everything.
10:23In the midst, however, of all of the trauma that has occurred,
10:26we have seen extraordinary acts of heroism.
10:29I'm hearing countless stories of strangers helping strangers,
10:34people who are opening their homes where they are intact
10:38and have not had to evacuate,
10:41opening their homes to neighbors,
10:43to friends of neighbors,
10:45feeding them and providing shelter for them.
10:49And I do think that it speaks to the best of who we are
10:51as a country, which is, in times of crisis,
10:55we find the heroes among us who we may not have known before,
11:00but act out of a sense of courage,
11:02but also a sense of community.
11:04And I applaud all those who are approaching this crisis
11:08with that spirit. And the bottom line is this.
11:13There are incredible heroes every day
11:16who are working right now in California
11:18on the front lines of this fire.
11:20And in particular, I want to thank the firefighters
11:23for all they are doing.
11:24They are, as the President said, putting themselves in harm's way
11:28and they are doing the work that is about helping people
11:32who are perfect strangers to them
11:34and doing it in some of the highest moments of need
11:37that anyone could face.
11:39I mean, with that, I'm going to turn it over to Liz Sherwood-Brandler.
11:41Turn it back to me. Okay. Back to the President.
11:45Look, I've had a chance to speak with a lot of elected officials,
11:48including the senators,
11:49some of the congresspersons in the region,
11:52as well as the Vice President, as well.
11:55And I want to be clear that one of the reasons
12:00I've asked this larger group to get together
12:02is because they control the very agencies
12:04that are needed from a federal level to get things done.
12:07And, you know, we're in a situation
12:10where the U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore is here,
12:14and he's going to provide an update
12:16on the fire situation in Los Angeles
12:17and discuss how the U.S. Fire Service or,
12:22the U.S. Forest Service is assisting Los Angeles
12:25and the state of California with fighting the wildfire,
12:28including the action this team has taken
12:30to suppress new fire starts.
12:32So, Chief, why don't you fire away.
12:37Thank you, Mr. President, Madam Vice President.
12:39It's great to see you.
12:40I, too, consider California my home.
12:43Yes. And so it's great to be here
12:46to talk about this dramatic situation that we have.
12:50So the Forest Service and the Department of Interior
12:52are actively engaged in supporting the response
12:55to the wildfires in Southern California.
12:58And there are four major fires that we currently have going on.
13:01The Forest Service is in unified command with L.A. County
13:06as well as other local city agencies.
13:11We are looking at the Eaton, the Hearst, and the Lydia.
13:15And if you look at that area there,
13:17that's the northernmost part of that area
13:19where the fires have taken place.
13:22The Palisades Fire, which CAL FIRE is in control of.
13:27And then we have a new start, which is the Sundown Fire
13:31that just started last night.
13:32And it also has the potential to expand quite significantly
13:37just based on the location it's at,
13:39but also the winds that are expected to continue.
13:43Right now, when I look at the mutual aid system in California,
13:47I want you to know that it's second to none
13:49in terms of how that system works
13:51and how it really moves to activate
13:54federal firefighting community
13:56and how it is activated and engaged.
14:01You know, every year we prepare for these Santa Ana winds.
14:05It's just that what is happening now is happening sooner.
14:10It's happening at a time now where we normally
14:12are at our lowest point in the fire year.
14:15And the fact that these fires are taking place now,
14:18it says that there are things that are going on in our climate
14:20that is creating truly year-round fire situations
14:25and is something that we all need to be mindful of.
14:27And this is a good indication of that.
14:29To give you an example, that if a fire starts
14:31from any ignition source during these Santa Ana winds,
14:34it has the potential for explosive growth and spread.
14:37And when that happens under these wind-driven conditions,
14:40it's very difficult to control.
14:42Now, in addition to this, when these winds are high,
14:45the aviation resources cannot fly.
14:49So it limits a lot of the potential area support.
14:53As of this morning, there were over 4,000 firefighters
14:56that were assigned to these large fires.
14:58Six hundred or so were currently federal work,
15:02which means Forest Service and Department of Interior.
15:06And it doesn't include many who are assigned to their home units
15:09to provide initial attack.
15:11To give you an idea of the unsung heroes
15:13in these fire-type conditions,
15:16in the last 24 hours, we've had 50 starts.
15:20And the initial attack success has been wonderful.
15:24So we've stopped a potential for 50 additional fires
15:27to be added to these four significant fires
15:30that we currently have.
15:31And that's what I mean by having initial attack crews
15:34stay put or pre-positioned across the state
15:37based on intelligence that we're gathering.
15:40So I wanted to mention that
15:42because we talk about the active fire suppression,
15:44but there's so much that takes place behind the scenes
15:47that limits the amount of fires
15:50that our firefighters are having to respond to.
15:54The President did an excellent job of mentioning
15:56all of the resources that's available
15:58and that are assigned to the fire.
16:01I won't go over those,
16:02but we have a number of equipment that's out there
16:07that, when the winds allow us,
16:09would be in the air fighting those fires.
16:12We also have a number of private contract crews
16:15that we're working with.
16:16We're working wonderfully with the state, county,
16:19and other federal firefighters,
16:20also the tribal firefighters as well in the communities.
16:24And we're looking at these maps,
16:27which we call the Marginal Area Firefighting
16:30and System Air Tankers. There's eight of them.
16:32And there were, like I said, this time of the year,
16:36we're not ready for that.
16:38But within the next 24 to 48 hours,
16:40we'll have all eight that's available for assistance.
16:44These aircrafts require lead planes
16:46to lead them into these fires.
16:48And so we're having to go through that whole process
16:50and ramp up really quick to get the inspections in,
16:54the check rides, so that these are qualified
16:57and are able to go.
17:00We're also working with our Canadian partners
17:02to mobilize two CL-415.
17:05These are water scoopers.
17:07They will clear customs on Monday,
17:08and they will be available after they clear federal inspections
17:11and the check rides.
17:13An important thing to know is that these aviation resources
17:15require a lot of support in the form of mechanics,
17:19airport space, helicopter managers, area supervision.
17:23And so we're working with our state and local
17:25and federal agencies to identify these aviation support resources
17:28to be sure that we can respond effectively.
17:32Now, I had mentioned the amount of fires
17:34that we've responded to in the last 48 hours,
17:37and I mentioned the 50 fires in the last 24 hours.
17:41We continue to have new starts.
17:43We're continuing to monitor the types of activities.
17:47We have about 8,000 firefighters on standby
17:50to add to this, if need be.
17:54Right now, we are going to monitor
17:57the number of aircraft and firefighters
17:59we have in that small space.
18:01Because as you can imagine,
18:03that's only so much you can put in a space
18:05before you create other challenges there.
18:08The airspace in that area is pretty tight.
18:10You have commercial airports and others in that area.
18:13You also, unfortunately, have drones in the air,
18:16which is a concern to our pilots
18:18and to the safety of the aircraft.
18:20And so we have to be mindful of that.
18:22I only bring it up to let you know
18:24that this is not a very easy environment to operate within.
18:29Our firefighters, both federal, state, and local,
18:33and tribal, are doing just an outstanding job
18:35in what I consider to be some significant challenges
18:39in a significant environment.
18:42I think, you know, as I look at some of the questions
18:46that you may tend to ask,
18:50it's typical that the causes of fires
18:52isn't known immediately,
18:54because resources are really focused on response.
18:57However, all the fire causes are investigated,
19:00and I want to be upfront with that.
19:02Each one of these fires will be investigated
19:05to see what the cause and origins of them are.
19:08And what we know now is that it will be unusual
19:10for there to be lightning-caused fires
19:12in Southern California at this time of the year.
19:14Fire investigations
19:16are the responsibility of the jurisdiction
19:18of where the fire starts,
19:19and we're ready to assist with this if and when needed.
19:22Thank you all.
19:24Thank you all.
19:25Randy, tell me about the conditions
19:29that we're dealing with on the ground.
19:32What's most concerning to you?
19:35Most concerning right now is the wind,
19:40because the wind is limiting our ability
19:42to put aircraft in the air.
19:45Aircraft will not put that fire out,
19:47but it gives our firefighters, our boots on the ground,
19:50a really good opportunity to put the fire out
19:53with a little help from retardant and water drops.
19:56With these Santa Ana winds,
19:57what's interesting about this part of California,
20:01the Santa Ana winds comes off the ocean
20:03usually in the mornings,
20:05and then you have the sundowner winds in the afternoon
20:07pushing the wind back the other way.
20:09And so while you're fighting to stop the fire
20:11this way in the morning,
20:13you're also fighting to stop the fire
20:14from coming back at you in the afternoon.
20:17The sundowner winds are not significant as we speak,
20:20but those are the challenges we have
20:22in that part of California.
20:24And so, again, our firefighters are doing
20:26just an outstanding job of working
20:28in that type of environment,
20:30which their lives are really at risk
20:33pretty significantly under these conditions.
20:36I told you, Administrator Griswold
20:39is off with the governor
20:42and inspecting some of these areas.
20:44So we have Bob Fenton. Bob, can you hear me?
20:48Hello, Bob.
20:49Good, sir. Mr. President, I hear you.
20:51Fire away.
20:52Can you hear me, sir? I'm there.
20:56So the administrator is with right now the governor,
21:00the mayor of L.A. County, local officials,
21:03getting a briefing on the fire
21:05to really understand what the needs are as we move forward,
21:09not only with regard to the firefight
21:12which Chief Moore was talking about,
21:16but also with regard to support
21:20when the population is displaced.
21:22Over 360,000 under mandatory evacuations,
21:25hundreds of thousands more with warnings.
21:30And so what we're doing now is ensuring
21:32that we're able to provide any support
21:35to provide mass care to individuals,
21:37any assistance for the sheltering,
21:40any assistance for feeding.
21:42And then through the programs that we provide
21:44through our individual assistance
21:46that you authorized through the declaration,
21:49we're able to assist individuals
21:51with funding to offset their hotel costs.
21:55So applying to FEMA on the 1-800-621-3362 number
21:59is important or disasterassistance.gov.
22:03We're sending teams out to the shelters.
22:06We know that there will be a huge need
22:08after fires for mental health specialists
22:11and working with HHS on providing that.
22:14As the Vice President talked about,
22:16insurance is problematic in California,
22:19especially with the fires.
22:22And so not only do some of the changes in our authorities
22:26help now with those that are underinsured,
22:28which we see more and more,
22:29but we want those that are insured
22:31to start seeking assistance to their insurance companies.
22:34Our programs can help individuals,
22:36especially displaced and who have lost their homes
22:38with rental assistance until they can rebuild
22:43and ultimately provide temporary housing.
22:44So we're in discussions with state and local governments
22:47on how we will meet those housing needs,
22:50both in the interim by using available stockage here,
22:54but how can we help rebuild.
22:56And then lastly, I would just say that we're really focused
22:59on already starting to discuss debris removal
23:02and all the hazardous waste that comes from fire
23:04and how to remove that safely
23:07between local, state, and federal government.
23:09We'll rely on federal partners, U.S. EPA,
23:12the Corps of Engineers, and others
23:14to be part of that technical assistance
23:17help to support the safe removal
23:20so that ultimately we could rebuild.
23:23And one of the things that we will start doing
23:25in the next couple of days is starting that discussion
23:28on how do we rebuild, and not only rebuild,
23:32but rebuild more resilient
23:33and bring together state and local federal agencies
23:35to start that discussion in the weeks to months ahead.
23:38And so right now we're focused on meeting
23:41the immediate needs of those displaced,
23:44but already starting to work on recovery and rebuild
23:47and bringing all our authorities
23:48and the full weight of the federal government
23:50and all the resources that you've authorized
23:52to help California in that endeavor.
23:56Bob, what do you think is the biggest challenge?
23:58Also, I got it.
23:59Sorry, go ahead. Go ahead.
24:02Yeah, I think the biggest challenge
24:05is going to be the mental health stress
24:10that is put on individuals that have lost everything.
24:12Fires are, you know, so drastic.
24:17You know, they destroy everything very quickly.
24:20Individuals don't have a lot of notice to leave.
24:22And so I think there's going to be
24:23a significant mental health strain
24:25followed by a need to help individuals recover and rebuild.
24:30And the Vice President is exactly right.
24:33You know, why I suspect that many have insurance,
24:37many are underinsured.
24:39And insurance is difficult to get,
24:40and some might have lost their insurance
24:42or been canceled by insurance companies.
24:44And I think that's something we need to continue to work on,
24:48you know, as a government at all levels,
24:52but something where there'll be gaps in assistance
24:55that we will need to bring in not only federal agencies,
24:58but nonprofits, private sector to help meet those needs.
25:01I think you're going to have to do we're going to have to do
25:04that in addition.
25:05The fact is that the two declarations we signed,
25:10I signed, provide for, for example,
25:13the rebuilding of churches and schools and certain,
25:16but not businesses, not business centers.
25:20And so that's going to be a gigantic cost as well.
25:24And but the debris removal is a big deal.
25:28And what that's going to take a long time, isn't it?
25:32Yeah, it will take some time to remove the debris in California.
25:40Fortunately, we've had a lot of experience with fighting fires
25:44and removing debris.
25:46And so it will take months to a year.
25:48This is a very widespread
25:51with significant damage to infrastructure.
25:54And we want to not only immediately remove the hazards,
25:56things like propane tanks,
25:58some of the power cells that are there,
26:02and other contaminants that may be in households
26:06and make sure that they're safe to reenter
26:07and relook for personal effects.
26:10But then the second part is removing that ash.
26:14And and what we've done before is help people with the removal
26:18so that we can get down on the grade
26:20and then immediately start rebuilding.
26:23All right. I appreciate what you're doing.
26:25And like you said, 360,000 people have been evacuated so far.
26:31I appreciate it.
26:35Go ahead. What were you going to say?
26:41Yes, sir. I just want to let you know I'm on also
26:43with the fire administrator from FEMA
26:46who's been working with the local fire chiefs.
26:48And I didn't know if you had any questions
26:50or if you want to add anything to this discussion.
26:52Chief Laurie Moore is on.
26:56Well, I've been talking to them.
26:57Chief, you want to add anything to this?
27:00I will, sir.
27:02Thank you very much. And as you might know,
27:04I've been here, got here last night.
27:07It was important to get here on the ground with the fire chiefs
27:10and the firefighters that are here.
27:12So I've been with L.A. County, L.A.
27:13City fire chief since last night.
27:16We're at the Palisades EOC right now,
27:19as Regional Administrator Fenton just said,
27:22with the governor, with the FEMA administrator
27:24getting the brief.
27:25The coordination of resources, it helps for us to be here.
27:29U.S. Fire Administration is part of the response
27:31because we're on the ground.
27:33We're able to explain ground truth and coordinate resources,
27:37streamline the communication between federal.
27:41We're also here checking on the firefighters on the front lines.
27:44And I really appreciate what you and the vice president
27:48both said about the boots on the ground
27:50because these are their communities
27:52and nobody wants to fight the fire
27:53and save these communities more than these firefighters
27:56who are boots on the ground from the very moment
27:58the ignition began.
27:59So we're checking on them and I will tell you they're exhausted.
28:02Obviously, many of them have been more than six hours
28:06on this now.
28:07They are able to take a quick nap sometimes in the truck,
28:11but they are on the job and they keep fighting.
28:15And so they need to know that they matter.
28:17And so it's important that I show up with them to see them,
28:21to say thank you and to let them know that we are watching,
28:25that we know what they're doing.
28:28We want to make sure that we're here when injuries happen.
28:31And so we did have an injured firefighter in L.A.
28:34County fell through a three-story roof
28:37just about two hours ago.
28:38So several major injuries, but in the hospital,
28:42I'll be going to check on him shortly.
28:44And it's about the response, too,
28:46because often while they're in the midst of the response,
28:50these chiefs can't explain everything that is happening.
28:54And there's a lot of questions, as you might imagine,
28:56and are addressing.
28:58And so it's important that we're here to help explain
29:01why the fire is moving the way it is,
29:03the fire dynamics, helping people understand.
29:06And when there's questions, as you know,
29:07about the response or about the water,
29:10to help people understand that it's not just,
29:13it's not over if there's not water in the hydrants.
29:15We have tenders. We have tankers.
29:16They're doing rescue.
29:18So there's a lot of work to be done
29:20in controlling these perimeters.
29:21There's so much work that these firefighters are doing
29:24beyond the direct suppression on these fires.
29:26And so that's why we're here and to continue to learn
29:30because every one of these tragedies,
29:32unfortunately, is a lesson to how to prevent the next.
29:36And so it's important that we do that as well.
29:39And so we're going to remain on the ground here, sir,
29:42on your behalf for a couple other days
29:44to make sure that we are part of this conversation.
29:48Well, you are a part of the conversation.
29:50That's why I went out to California yesterday
29:53and met with those firefighters
29:55and met with those police officers
29:57because there's also worry about looting
29:59and a number of other things.
30:00So they are really incredible people.
30:03They're making such sacrifice. But I think you're right.
30:07We have to provide them all that is humanly possible
30:11for them to be able to do their job.
30:13And there's going to be a need. I want to say it again.
30:16We all know around this table, there's a need for some help
30:21in terms of the psyche of these folks.
30:24There's going to be real problems
30:26regarding the mental health issues,
30:28and we got to make sure we're prepared to deal with it.
30:31All right. Now, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kate Hicks.
30:36Secretary, why don't you tell us what you and I
30:39and others have been talking about the Defense Department
30:41doing and what they're prepared to do now?
30:44Thank you, Mr. President. I'm right here.
30:46I'm looking at the screen right now.
30:48I'm surprised too.
30:52We are very much leaning in here at the Defense Department.
30:55We, of course, are always looking
30:57for how we can support state and local partners
30:59and, of course, our interagency partners
31:00in the federal sector that you've already heard from.
31:04And that includes every tool that we believe we can leverage
31:07that causes us to always lean forward
31:09to make sure our partners understand what we could bring
31:13and be responsive to requests that they're coming forward with.
31:16We have been in receipt of some requests.
31:19I will turn, with your permission in a moment,
31:22to Chairman Brown, and then we also have on the screen with us
31:25the NORTHCOM Commander General Gio,
31:28who is our focal point for responses
31:31here in the United States homeland.
31:33Secretary Austin this morning at Germany
31:36already in his opening remarks
31:38for the final Ukraine Defense Contact Group
31:41spoke explicitly to our intent
31:44and efforts underway now to provide search support.
31:48And so I just want to emphasize it's so important to us
31:51that he's put that front and center
31:53even while he's concluding this important work overseas.
31:58You had mentioned some of the efforts
32:00we already have underway.
32:02We are ready, as I said, to engage with our partners
32:05on further efforts. With your permission,
32:07I'll turn to Chairman Brown.
32:08Please, Chairman.
32:10Mr. President, Madam Vice President, as you highlight,
32:13we do have 500 personnel already identified
32:17to be able to support.
32:19Not so much in firefighting,
32:20because it takes some 10 days of training
32:21that would be required,
32:23and we don't want to pull firefighters away from that.
32:24But they can also support with rock-climbing capabilities,
32:27commodity distribution.
32:29We talked about the airlift with their helicopters.
32:33There's 10 U.S. Navy helicopters,
32:35as well as 10 guard helicopters.
32:37The winds have been challenging to get them airborne.
32:40They can also help with the ground search and rescue,
32:43incident response, awareness, and the medical support.
32:48Those Marines will be in place the next 24 to 48 hours.
32:52The California National Guard also has, by tomorrow,
32:55they'll have about 1,000 service members
32:57that'll be available to be able to support as well.
33:01About 250 of those actually have some firefighting capability,
33:04and they can be trained in the next 24 to 48 hours
33:07to also support firefighting.
33:09As was mentioned,
33:10the C-130s with the modular aerial firefighting system,
33:15two of those are already channeled out.
33:16Explain what that means to the average listener.
33:18Yeah, so what it is, it's a C-130 that's modified.
33:21It has a modular assistance put into the back of the C-130,
33:26and so it's able to push out either water
33:27or the slurry return associated with it.
33:31And as was highlighted, they are usually prepared
33:33to do this during the firefighting season.
33:35This is several months prior to when they would typically do this.
33:38And so there's two C-130s that are already at Channel Island.
33:41They're just about northwest of Los Angeles.
33:45The other six will be there within the next 24 hours or so.
33:49The first flight will start tomorrow,
33:51and then they will continue to be prepared to be able to support.
33:57We're also looking at surrounding bases
34:00that may have the ability to bed down
34:03any displaced personnel or families.
34:06We've got about 1,000 beds that have been identified
34:08at either Edwards, March, or Fort Corwin out there in California.
34:13In addition, we're using March Reserve Base
34:16as an incident response area and getting that set up.
34:19Mr. President, the last thing I would say is,
34:21what I've done before I turn it to General Gio,
34:24what we really try to do is identify things
34:26that we know we can lean forward on before there's even an ask.
34:29We want to make sure we cut down the timeline
34:31to get the right capability.
34:33We also want to make sure,
34:34and I know that General Gio is communicating that
34:36with Mr. Griswold from FEMA,
34:39so that we want to make sure we, as I say,
34:41provide an a la carte memory of all the things we have available,
34:44so even if they don't want to come to think about it,
34:46we're already looking ahead.
34:48Last thing I would say is, when I met this morning,
34:50this afternoon with my staff,
34:51the thing we also talked about is the immediate response,
34:55but there's also, as was highlighted,
34:57the longer-term response of things
34:58that we'd have to be able to look at in recovery,
35:01which we're already thinking ahead of what options
35:03DOD would be able to provide to it and support it.
35:05Pitting your questions, and then I can turn it to you.
35:08You guys have been immediately responsive.
35:10Thank you. I mean, you're right on top of things.
35:12But let's turn to General.
35:17Good afternoon, Mr. President, and thank you, Chairman.
35:21NORTHCOM, on behalf of the Department of Defense,
35:23is aggressively taking action to deliver capabilities
35:26to California as soon as they're requested.
35:29So, in addition to the aircraft and ground forces
35:33and the installation support
35:35that President Biden and Chairman Brown mentioned,
35:38we've identified other capabilities,
35:41such as helicopter support, surge and rescue,
35:45both from the ground or from the air, commodity distribution,
35:49route clearance, and medical capabilities
35:51that we've postured and have led forward
35:54to make sure that they're able to deploy to California
35:59and operate just as quickly as they are requested.
36:04And to do that, we're cooperating very closely
36:06with FEMA, with the state of California,
36:08and the National Guard Bureau to deliver the right capabilities
36:11at the right time for the women and men of California.
36:16Well, the Defense Department, I've got to say,
36:18has stepped up immediately.
36:19They didn't even — as a matter of fact,
36:21they got a call what you need before I even asked.
36:24So, thank you all.
36:26And you have incredible capacity and capabilities.
36:29It's just getting them in place as quickly as possible
36:33is the most important thing, and you're doing that right now.
36:36So, I have — I think you're going to see an awful lot of help
36:41coming based on what you want to do, what you can do.
36:46And the entire department is surging capacities,
36:49in my understanding,
36:51including the aerial equipment to fight these fires.
36:53So, thank you very much.
36:56Now, I'd like to speak to our Department of Energy
37:02Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
37:04She will brief us on power outages
37:07and initial assessments of impacts
37:09on the power grid in Los Angeles area.
37:12And, Madam Secretary, it's all yours, wherever you are.
37:17We're looking to see if she's still on the screen.
37:19She's had to board a plane.
37:20So, if she has had to board, the Deputy Secretary,
37:24Dave Turk, is sitting at the end of the table.
37:25It looks like she is on her plane,
37:26so I'll give the update, Mr. President.
37:32And she's on the way, Mr. President,
37:34to Puerto Rico, again, on official visit,
37:38given the island-wide blackout there
37:39and doing everything we can to help on that front,
37:41per your guidance and the Vice President's direction as well.
37:45And, of course, again, per your guidance,
37:47we're doing everything we can to help,
37:49working with partners, including our utility partners,
37:52but also other federal partners as well.
37:55As of just coming into this meeting,
37:57there's about a little over 400,000
37:59customer outages in California.
38:02Important to note that these are both actual outages,
38:05power that's actually been disrupted because of the fire,
38:08but also proactive shutoffs, just as you mentioned as well,
38:11to prevent fire ignition and the spread of fire.
38:15We've got two main utilities out there,
38:17Southern Cal Edison and the Los Angeles
38:19Department of Water and Power.
38:21And we're in close and continuing contact,
38:23including with their CEOs, Pedro and Janice as well,
38:27including calls with them just a few hours ago
38:29just to make sure we're doing everything we can to help.
38:32We're coordinating with those utilities
38:34and with utilities literally across the country
38:36to make sure that we've got all the capabilities
38:39that we have in the federal government,
38:40but our utility partners to provide that.
38:44I want to thank you, Mr. President.
38:45You joined a call just a couple months ago
38:47with Liz and our Secretary
38:48to thank all of these utility CEOs.
38:51We've got this phenomenal partnership
38:52with utilities all across the country.
38:54It's called Mutual Assistance.
38:56And if any utility in any one region needs help,
38:59all the other utilities and we last unleashed
39:03this phenomenal partnership
39:06to bring 40,000 utility workers to Florida,
39:09North Carolina, South Carolina, the affected regions
39:11with the two hurricanes back to back.
39:13And everybody-
39:14Continue to talk to me. I've been deployed so many places.
39:18Well, having been with the utilities out,
39:20we were all in Colorado for this meeting.
39:23They just appreciated you taking the time
39:24to thank them for their personal leadership.
39:26And it's the utility CEOs themselves
39:28who make the time for these calls going forward.
39:32We're working closely with all the utilities.
39:34We're also in continuing contact
39:36with the transmission operators.
39:38The disruption has really been at the distribution level,
39:41at the local level,
39:42but we want to make sure there's not broader outages
39:44and broader concerns.
39:46As of now, we're not seeing any issues
39:47with stability of broader transmission system,
39:50either in the region or across California or more broadly.
39:53So that's a good news part of where we're at now.
39:56Of course, we're working with the utilities
39:59trying to restore power to customers
40:01as quickly as we're able.
40:03But full restoration, of course,
40:05is going to take some time here.
40:07In particular, the comprehensive damage assessment
40:10will take time and can't begin until it's safe for crews
40:12to get in there and actually do the assessments and do the work.
40:16So we're working, Madam Vice President,
40:18as you said at the outset, with a real sense of urgency here,
40:21but also with a sense of we'll do whatever we can
40:24over the long haul to do right by our responsibilities.
40:28David, one of the things that everybody's mentioned so far
40:33is the mental stress it's going to cause for average Americans
40:36who are caught in the middle of all this.
40:38And one of the things that, you know, it's not —
40:42these aren't every day,
40:45no matter how well educated one is,
40:46you're not always certain how power is transmitted,
40:51why it's transmitted the way it is, and so on.
40:54Could you explain to the folks here,
40:58the public that's listening,
41:00what the impact on some of the utilities
41:03have had on the ability to generate the pumping of water?
41:09Because a lot — because there's a lot of accusations
41:11going around that it's because that local leadership
41:16didn't care. I mean, explain how this works
41:18and why it makes sense what's happened.
41:20So this is an issue, actually.
41:22Secretary Granholm was on the phone with the CEO
41:24of Southern Cal Edison to talk exactly about this
41:27and make sure we were doing everything we can on that front.
41:31And it's both the power issue —
41:33and you mentioned generators and other ways
41:35that we can try to help solve the problem there —
41:37but it's also the pressure and making sure
41:40that we're thinking of these things holistically.
41:42And certainly, my experience over the last four years
41:44under your leadership is, it's not one department,
41:47it's not one slice of your federal government
41:50that is responsible.
41:52Energy and water issues overlap in a lot of different ways.
41:54So we work with our EPA colleagues and others
41:56to make sure that we're bringing all of our expertise
41:59and explaining it to our fellow Americans.
42:02It's important that we give transparent information
42:04and information they can rely upon.
42:06Well, I think it's just people don't know how it functions.
42:09And, for example, since I've been President,
42:13I've been in an aircraft flying over more territory
42:16where there have been wildfires from Arizona
42:19all the way up to Idaho and beyond.
42:23And that make up an area larger than the entire state of Maryland
42:27burned to the ground.
42:29And one of the problems has been that people don't understand
42:32that when these high winds occur,
42:34what happens is — or when these storms occur,
42:37these utility poles, these whole, you know, those big lines —
42:42you see where all the lines are on?
42:44They fall to the ground in the middle of the forest.
42:46It's not just about raking the leaves under the trees.
42:49It's about the fires that that causes.
42:52And so utilities have to shut down the ability
42:54to continue to transmit on those lines.
42:57And the consequence of that — I don't think most people think,
43:00no matter how well educated they are,
43:02unless they're in a hearing,
43:03that there's a direct correlation
43:05between the utility company
43:07and the ability to pump water out of a hydrant.
43:10And so it allows for a lot of uninformed people
43:13to make assertions or concerns or accusations
43:18about the local officials not caring or not working.
43:21So, as I understand it,
43:24the vast majority of the circumstances
43:27where the water resource has been diminished
43:29is because of the utility company
43:32not being able to maintain the electric transmission
43:37because they're getting knocked down or shutting down
43:39so they don't cause more fires.
43:41The Press.
43:42And — but now what is happening is,
43:46do you — are we getting cooperation
43:48with utility companies to bring in generators
43:50and others to bring in generators
43:52to generate the energy to allow that fire hydrant to function?
43:58That — I mean, explain that a little bit.
44:00Mr. Miller. So this is the pragmatic can-do attitude.
44:03And folks have been literally doing these —
44:05our civil servants and others — for their careers
44:08and making sure that we're solutions-oriented.
44:11We sometimes call our department the Solutions Department,
44:13as Liz knows from having been Deputy Secretary
44:16of the Department of Energy.
44:17And so whatever gets the power on to allow the water,
44:20whatever gets the job done,
44:22a lot of times it's working with our defense colleagues
44:24who have terrific assets that can be brought in quite quickly.
44:28The other point I'd like to make, Mr. President,
44:29to thank you and the Vice President's leadership
44:31and our folks in Congress,
44:33your bipartisan infrastructure legislation
44:36actually provided $10 billion.
44:38It's a GRIT program for grid resiliency
44:41to improve the resilience of our grids
44:43so that when the grids do go down,
44:44they come back on quicker.
44:46That's $10 billion that we've already gotten out the door
44:50and is being invested in communities
44:51all across the country. We need more of that.
44:53We need to continue to focus on infrastructure.
44:56But infrastructure matters.
44:58It matters a great deal because, for example,
45:00one of the things that I knew but I didn't know —
45:03I didn't put a number on it.
45:05It'd be a lot easier if these electric lines
45:09are running underground in contained vessels,
45:13so in the middle of forests. So there's nothing that —
45:16I mean, but it costs, what, six times more?
45:19It can cost six times more.
45:20And we're doing a lot more undergrounding
45:22thanks to your leadership on the infrastructure funding.
45:25It's not cost-effective everywhere.
45:27And some places it's necessary.
45:28Some places it's absolutely necessary.
45:30And we need to have the funding and support
45:32to do that as quickly as we can.
45:34So, I think we're moving in the right direction.
45:37I know it — look, this is really, really,
45:41really difficult for families to have to deal with it.
45:47I mean, you know, I have a family member
45:52who lives out there, and the area where he lives —
45:56I'm not going to get into detail where he lives —
45:59I think there are something like 240 or 260 homes
46:01that burned to the ground, all but 14 or 15 of them.
46:06And everybody has to evacuate.
46:07And people are going, when do I get back?
46:11When do I — will I ever find that picture out?
46:12Will I ever find the jewelry that my mom
46:15and my grandmom gave me? Will I ever —
46:17I mean, there's so much anxiety that's generated.
46:21And I think that we've been through this once before
46:27in Hawaii, where the fires occurred,
46:29and we're trying to build back up the community
46:33so they could open up and things be running.
46:35But it's really, really, really hard.
46:38So, I'm going to make an appeal right now
46:41to the United States Congress.
46:43They're going to have to step up when we ask for more help —
46:46more help to get these people the kind of shelter they need,
46:49to get the kind of help they need,
46:51because it really does matter.
46:53And you guys do — I'm not being solicitous —
46:56you do — all do a hell of a job.
46:58And we've learned, unfortunately, so much.
47:01And there is — in case you haven't noticed —
47:03there is global warming.
47:05It does change weather patterns.
47:08And as you explained, Randy, the wind is going in
47:13and the wind is coming out. You get the one going in,
47:15but you don't want the one coming back out.
47:17And so, my point is that I think there —
47:21the more we can explain to the American people
47:24in plain, straightforward, honest English
47:26or whatever language they're misunderstanding
47:29what exactly is happening,
47:31the more likely we're likely to get the kind of support
47:34and not make a political deal out of this.
47:36I'm leaving this office very shortly,
47:38but it's not about the politics.
47:40It's about giving people some sense of security
47:43that we're going to be able to get this under control,
47:45but it's going to take time. And it's going to take time.
47:49And like I said, in the next little bit,
47:53we're going to be going back to Congress,
47:54asking for some more help on some of this stuff.
47:57And I hope that I'm ready to step up
47:59because we can afford it.
48:00And like I said, we have a little infrastructure bill
48:04that's over a trillion dollars
48:05and it's going to be able to help a little bit.
48:07We have done a lot in terms of what we're going to do
48:10in terms of providing for this rebuilding of communities.
48:14And so, I think the most important thing we have to do,
48:18those of us sitting around this table and on the screen,
48:22is explain in simple, straightforward language
48:26what the capacity we have is, how we're using that capacity,
48:30and what capacity we don't have that we need.
48:33And in order to keep things from just all these,
48:38in crisis, rumors and fear spread very quickly.
48:42And the most important thing is to just bring this down
48:46in an area of be honest with people,
48:49what's at stake, but be straightforward with them.
48:52What can be done and how we're going to get it done.
48:55So, I thank you all very much.
48:58I'm proud of the job you're all doing.
49:00And I'm, quite frankly, proud of the job
49:02the local officials in California are doing.
49:06Spent a lot of time with the governor
49:07and the mayor of Los Angeles and others.
49:10You know, they're doing everything
49:13that we ask of them and beyond.
49:15And so, we're stepping up as best we can.
49:18Any of my colleagues around the table or on the screen
49:20want to add anything before we close this out?
49:24Well, as the Californian at the table,
49:29thank you for all the leadership
49:31that everyone here has provided, starting with our president.
49:35We are beyond the point of calling it fire season.
49:39Yeah, that's right.
49:41We really and we're saying this around the country
49:43that whereas years before we would talk
49:46about a particular season of extreme weather,
49:50we are saying that it doesn't matter
49:52what month of the year we should be ready.
49:55The work that our administration has done,
49:58in particular, on the issue of infrastructure,
50:02together with the Inflation Reduction Act
50:04and the attention we are paying to the climate crisis
50:08is so important because we have got to invest
50:11as a country in adaptation
50:15and we have to invest in resilience.
50:18And that is about homeowners, that is about families,
50:22that is about cities and local governments,
50:25state governments,
50:27and we have to adapt to this changing climate.
50:32For example, fire hydrants are pretty much built
50:37to deal with an individual house fire,
50:40not with a wildfire that is taking
50:43on entire residential communities
50:45where these homes are providing the fuel
50:48for that fire to grow.
50:50We have to put more resources into our fire departments
50:54and firefighters, understanding that we are asking a lot of them
50:58that traditionally they never had to do
51:00and because of their commitment to their profession,
51:03they're attempting to rise to the moment of crisis,
51:06but we need to put more resources
51:08into those individual professionals
51:10and into the departments
51:12that sustain that work with the mission.
51:15That is such an important mission in times like this.
51:18So, Mr. President, I thank you for your leadership,
51:20your foresight to understand
51:22what over these last four years we could do to leapfrog
51:26in front of what we know to be a changing climate
51:29to meet these types of moments.
51:31And God bless all of the people who are on the ground
51:34right now in California doing that work.
51:37I thank you for your comments.
51:38I think I totally agree with you,
51:40which will not surprise anybody.
51:41Look, there is an expression from a famous Irish poet.
51:46He said, all has changed, changed utterly.
51:49A terrible beauty has been born.
51:51All has changed in the weather.
51:55Climate change is real, fundamentally altering,
51:59not just here, but around the world,
52:02around the world, what's going on.
52:05And we've got to adjust to it. We've got to adjust to it.
52:08And we can. It's within our power to do it.
52:10But we've got to acknowledge it, or begin with,
52:13just acknowledge that there's a change taking place,
52:16that we're not going to be able to legislate away.
52:19It's real. There is global warming. It's real.
52:23It's having a profound impact.
52:25And where it goes from here, I don't know,
52:27but I know one thing, we have the capacity to respond to it
52:30if we, in fact, exercise our good judgment.
52:34So, thank you all very much. I appreciate it.
52:36I'm not in a position to answer that question.
52:48I pray God they will.
52:53Mr. President, do you have a sense of how much
52:55this is going to cost in the end?
52:57No, the truth of the matter is no one can tell you that.
52:59For example, just clearing the debris,
53:03you saw what happened when we were dealing
53:05with the hurricanes that occurred
53:07from North Carolina to Florida.
53:10The cost of the debris cleanup is gigantic.
53:13Gigantic.
53:14The cost of replacing the housing is almost exponential.
53:19I mean, we don't know what it is.
53:21We know one thing we have to do. We have to stay with it.
53:24We have the capacity to do it, but we don't know that.
53:27Anybody gives you a number now,
53:28they have no idea what the hell they're talking about.
53:31It's a big, big, big number.
53:34Mr. President, can you update us, please,
53:42on the Hamas hostages
53:43and what you think of the incoming administration's
53:46efforts and ultimatum?
53:49I can, but I'm not sure it's appropriate for now.
53:51We're making some real progress.
53:53I met with negotiators today.
53:57I think there's what's going on right now in Lebanon,
54:01and we finally have a president. He's a first-rate guy.
54:05I spent time on the phone with him today,
54:06about 20 minutes to a half an hour,
54:08with what they have planned.
54:11They're also working very hard with a Lebanese military,
54:17accountable to the Lebanese people,
54:19not Hamas, not Hezbollah, not any other group.
54:23And so I think we're going to see some progress.
54:27And, you know, I know hope springs eternal,
54:29but I think I'm still hopeful
54:31that we'll be able to have a prisoner exchange.
54:34Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now,
54:37but I think we may be able to get that done.
54:39We need to get it done. Thank you all very much.
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