DW
Outgoing US President will not depart on what would have been the final overseas trip of his presidency so he can “remain focused on directing the full federal response” to the wildfires, the White House says.
In a short statement, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to meet with police, fire and emergency personnel.
After that trip, he made the decision to cancel the upcoming trip to Italy, Jean-Pierre said.
Biden had intended to have one more audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Friday. He had also planned to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the trip.
Wildfires rage across Los Angeles
Firefighters are struggling to contain at least five large-scale , with five people so far reported to have died in the blazes.
The fires extend from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena. One blaze, dubbed the Sunset Fire, has been raging since Wednesday near the world-famous film hub of Hollywood.
Evacuation orders have been issued to some 130,000 people and nearly 108 square kilometers (42 square miles) have been burnt out, local fire authorities say.
The fires have been described as the worst in the history of Los Angeles.
Movie stars and celebrities have been among those to lose their homes to the flames.
Climate experts say a number of factors, including near-hurricane-force winds and drought, have combined to create favorable conditions for the blazes.
They say such events are becoming ever more common as human fossil-fuel usage causes the Earth’s atmosphere to heat.
The post California fires: Biden cancels final official overseas trip appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
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