WHITE HOUSE President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed “mismanagement” of California’s forests for ongoing deadly wildfires, threatening to withhold federal payments after 9 people died in one blaze and evacuation orders were issued for some 250,000 state residents. “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” he tweeted. Story Continued Below Trump earlier issued an emergency declaration providing federal funds to help firefighters. Trump has previously criticized management of California’s forests, blaming the spread of wildfires and widespread drought on the state’s water policy. Trump in August said California’s “bad environmental laws” are a cause of wildfires. Experts have disputed those claims. A Southern California wildfire continues to burn homes, including in the celebrity enclave of Malibu, as it runs toward the sea. But winds that drove the ferocious flames have eased, according to the Associated Press. A separate blaze this week incinerated most of the Northern California town of Paradise, killing at least nine people.
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