Embattled California Gov. Gavin Newsom slashed funding earmarked for fighting wildfires by more than $100 million this fiscal year, a review of the state’s budget found.
The lefty pol’s fiscal 2025 budget, signed in June, eliminated $101 million from seven “wildfire and forest resilience” programs, according to Newsweek.
This included cutting $5 million from CAL FIRE’s now-$129 million budget for fuel reduction teams, including funds used by the state’s National Guard for “vegetation management work” aimed at reducing threats of fires igniting and spreading.
Other related cuts include:
- $28 million from multiple state conservancies to use on wildfire resilience.
- $12 million from a “home-hardening” pilot program to make homes more resilient to wildfires.
- $8 million from fire monitoring and research spending, mostly dedicated to Cal Fire and state universities.
- $4 million from a forest legacy program that encourages landowners to manage their properties.
Newsom’s office called the reports of fire-prevention budget cuts a “ridiculous lie.”
“The governor has doubled the size of our firefighting army, built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet and the state has increased the forest management ten-fold since he took office,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox News.
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At least 150,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes in Southern California as wildfires continue to rage across the Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas.
At least 11 people are dead, and thousands of structures have been destroyed.
CAL FIRE did not return messages.
