President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the federal government would cover 100% of costs for the initial disaster response to the Los Angeles wildfires.
Meeting with federal officials at the White House, Biden said the funds would go toward debris removal, temporary shelters, salaries for first responders and more for 180 days.
Biden said he emphasized to California officials they should “spare no expense to do what they need to do.”
He also had a message for residents impacted by the ravaging fires: “We are with you. We are not going anywhere. To the firefighters and first responders, you are heroes.”
“The cost of the debris cleanup is gigantic, gigantic. The cost of replacing the housing is almost exponential,” he continued. “Anybody can give you a number now, they have no idea what they’re talking about. It’s big, big, big.”
He added, “I’m going to make an appeal right now to the United States Congress. They’re going to have to step up when we ask for more help to get people the kind of – they need, to get the kind of help they need. Because it really does matter.”
As Biden spoke, five fires were spreading around the Los Angeles area. Roughly 28,000 acres had been scorched and hundreds of thousands of people evacuated. At least five people died in the fires, and many more injured.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is from California and whose neighborhood was forced to evacuate earlier this week, was also at the meeting.
“What we have seen in California and in particular in Southern California is apocalyptic in terms of the nature of it,” Harris said.
A major disaster declaration was approved by Biden on Wednesday, allowing victims of the fire to “immediately access funds and resources to jumpstart their recovery,” according to the White House.
Biden also directed the Pentagon to provide any firefighting resources the area needs, including helicopters to help suppress the flames. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized 500 wildfire ground clearing personnel to assist local first responders, Biden said on Thursday.
“We expect there may be a temporary break in the winds, but in some areas, the winds are likely to continue well in the next week,” Biden said. “And so, we’re going to continue to spend — sending everything, literally every resource we can find that’s appropriate, to help the governor and the first responders.”
Biden cancelled his visit to Italy, where he was planning to meet with Pope Francis and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in his final foreign trip of his presidency, to focus on the federal response to the tragedy.
The president was in California on Wednesday and received a briefing from officials alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom, a target of attacks from President-elect Donald Trump over his handling of the fires.
Trump also claimed on Thursday morning that FEMA has “no money” under the Biden administration, which is false.
Congress passed a bill in December that provided an additional $100 billion for disaster aid, including $29 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund. The infusion was less than the $40 billion Biden had requested for the agency.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was in Los Angeles on Thursday to meet with local officials and survey the damage.
FEMA also released a guide to assistance for those impacted by the fires to “jumpstart” the recovery process. The agency said individuals in designated areas may be able to receive money for essential items, including food, water, medication and other supplies.
Biden said in his remarks that Californians affected should contact disasterassistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.
“To the families who have been impacted by this disaster, you’re living through a nightmare, I know. And I promise you, we’re going to help you get through this and eventually recover and rebuild,” Biden said.
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
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