President-elect Donald Trump launched a new round of criticism Sunday targeting Democrats over their efforts to tame the Southern California wildfires, ripping rival liberal leaders as “incompetent” witnesses to “one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country.”

President-elect Donald Trump has accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of prioritizing environmental policies over public safety, and claimed that FEMA lacked the funds to respond to the crisis.

President-elect Donald Trump has used the devastating Los Angeles wildfires to revisit a policy disagreement with California Gov.

For five consecutive days, wildfires fanned by strong winds have ravaged neighborhoods in Los Angeles, destroying more than 12,300 homes and buildings and leaving at least 16 dead. Fresh evacuations were ordered from Mandeville Canyon to the Interstate 405 freeway on Friday evening because of a flare-up of the massive Palisades Fire.

Before one of the most destructive fires in California history swept through, the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Los Angeles' west side was filled with expensive homes fronted by green, well-tended landscaping and popular boutiques and cafes.

A brush fire broke out Tuesday near the Pacific Palisades, a coastal neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, and quickly exploded.

Tom Hanks’ $26 million Pacific Palisades home narrowly escaped wildfire damage, while neighboring properties burned. The Los Angeles wildfires have claimed 16 lives, destroyed 12,000 structures, and caused up to $150 billion in losses.

California fire tornados formed as strong winds whipped up flames in the Pacific Palisades wildfires. The tornado was spotted on Friday night (10 January) as the wildfires blazed through the San Fernando Valley in California.