Fire Officials To Trump: No, California Didn’t Worsen Wildfires By Dumping Water Into Ocean

As fires grow to historic sizes in California, President Trump tweeted that the state is “foolishly” diverting “vast amounts of water from the North” into the Pacific Ocean instead of using them to fight its wildfires. The state’s “bad environmental laws” are to blame, he added. The tweets baffled state officials, who quickly pointed out that water supplies are not the problem. “Let’s be clear: It’s our changing climate that is leading to more severe and destructive fires,” said Cal Fire spokesman Mike Mohler. Scott McLean, also a Cal Fire spokesman, said he doesn’t understand the president’s comments.