Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director DeAnne Criswell said Sunday that the U.S. military is ready to deploy to help suppress wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles.
“We have active-duty military personnel who are on ‘ready to go’ orders and are ready to come out and continue to assist in the firefighting effort,” Criswell said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week.” “The incident commanders at each command post will know exactly what they need, and if they need anything else, we will be available to assist them. can.”
This includes 500 active-duty Marines and 10 Navy helicopters, according to the report. Department of Defense.
Asked why the state had not yet requested military assistance, Criswell said he would defer to the incident commander, who “knows what is needed and where people need to be placed.”
“And often in situations like this, it’s very strategic. You don’t always need to put more people on it,” she added. “We have to make sure it’s safe. And, you know, there’s a finite number of aircraft that can be parked in space. So they have to make sure that the strategy that they’re using is You know the details, but we want to make sure.”We’re not behind the need and if they need it, we can move them in.” ”
Criswell said her “biggest concern” is that Los Angeles “remains in a dangerous situation” as wildfires rage.
“The red flag warning has been reissued. The winds are coming back. And we still want to make sure people are in a safe place,” she said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” said in an interview.
“I know it’s difficult for so many people because they want to get back to their homes, they want to see their homes, they want to see if there’s anything left,” Criswell continued. “But this life safety is not just for them, it’s for our firefighters as well to make sure they don’t get hurt and that’s the most important part of keeping this fire under control.”
Wind is a big concern. California Governor Gavin Newsom said strong wind gusts could cause wildfires to spread even further in the next 48 hours.
“The challenge is the wind. It’s coming back Sunday night and tonight. We’ll have the best winds on Monday. Gusts over 50 mph are expected, but that’s subject to change.” Newsom told “Meet the Press” Sunday in Altadena. “So, we’re pre-positioning assets now. And not only here, we’re pre-positioning five or more existing fires, but now in many other counties. We’re expanding our range and moving some of them further south,” gathering resources in hopes of seeing a flare-up or a fresh start in a new location. ”
“With these winds changing the conditions on this fire, I’m concerned about the safety of our firefighters, I’m concerned about their ability to keep this fire under control, and I’m concerned about the opinion of local authorities. We want to make sure people are listening, so they can stay safe and out of harm’s way,” FEMA’s Criswell said on Sunday’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” spoke.
Asked why authorities were unprepared to deal with the fire, Criswell told Brennan that “authorities were well prepared,” but that “the 160 mph winds that added fuel to the fire… “I’ve never seen it before and it’s because of the wind and weather conditions.” It really does have a big impact…where this fire goes. ”
“It’s in a densely populated area, so it’s very difficult to get in there and secure the perimeter, but we have to try to protect as many homes as possible,” Criswell added.
Criswell also warned affected Los Angeles residents not to return to their homes.
“We know that a great many people will probably want to return to the area to check on their homes, but with the winds picking up again, it’s anyone’s guess which direction they will go. I don’t even know,” she said on CNN on Sunday. “State of the Union.”
The Eaton Fire was 27% contained as of Sunday morning. NBC News coverageciting data from the U.S. Forest Service Angeles National Forest Branch. The Palisades fire remains at 11% containment. According to Cal Fire.
— CNBC’s Yun Li contributed to this report.
