Gov. Gavin Newson’s Office said President-elect Donald Trump’s water restoration declaration is “pure fiction” in a response to Trump’s Truth Social post Wednesday morning.

In a statement, Trump accused Newsom of neglecting a necessary action to address the state’s environmental and fire-related issues. However, Izzy Gardon, director of communications for  Newsom, dismissed Trump’s claims.

“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Gardon said.

Related Story: Trump Blames Newsom for California’s Wildfires and Water Challenges

Newsom’s office also provided details to GV Wire about the state’s response to the Palisades fire crisis.

Earlier this week, Newsom ordered the prepositioning of critical resources to combat wildfires across California. These assets include:

• 65 local government fire engines
• 7 water tenders
• 7 helicopters
• 9 dozers

More than 105 specialized personnel stationed in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, coordinated through the Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System managed by Cal OES.

Related Story: Newsom Announces More Federal Aid to Battle Fires in LA County

Additionally, the state strategically repositioned CalFire resources from Northern California to Southern California.

This included 45 additional fire engines and 6 additional hand crews sent to Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties, they said.

Gov. Newsom Announced Federal Resources for Fires

Early Wednesday, Gov. Newsom announced that additional federal aid was granted for the Hurst Fire, and that adds to the support give by the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.

He also proclaimed a state of emergency to support the communities that were impacted. The governor’s office also told GV Wire that the California National Guard has been deployed to help in these areas.

Newsom’s Office said his efforts to combat California’s wildfire crisis include the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, with 100% of the 99 key actions underway or completed.

Related Story: Gov. Newsom Proposes $322B Budget With No Deficit

The state is investing $2.6 billion through 2028 in forest management to improve resilience. By July 2024, CAL FIRE will have added 3,000 new firefighters, along with new fire hand crews and permanent positions in the 2024-25 budget.

California’s firefighting capabilities are enhanced by the world’s largest civil aerial fleet, including 13 Fire Hawk helicopters and 7 C-130 Air Tankers.

Cutting-edge AI technology and satellite access are helping predict and detect wildfires, while the new Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Center centralizes wildfire data and analysis.

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