President-elect Donald Trump called on California Gov. Newsom to resign amid the raging wildfires in southern California.

“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social late Wednesday. “It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”

In another post Thursday morning, he railed against Mr. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

“Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT. Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass…And Biden’s FEMA has no money — all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. Is a total wipeout!!!” Mr. Trump posted. 

Mr. Newsom’s office defended his actions.

“The governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,”  Izzy Gardon, Mr. Newsom’s director of communications, said in a statement.

There are at least five fires burning in the Los Angeles region that have killed at least five people and displaced over roughly 180,000 people.

FEMA announced earlier this week that it was authorizing the use of federal funds to help with the fires. Fire Management Assistance Grants provide federal funding for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs.

“The Disaster Relief Fund provides allowances for FMAGs through FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to become major incidents,”  the agency said.

Mr. Trump started placing blame on Mr. Newsom Wednesday in a Truth Social post saying that he “refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.”

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called the smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid,” he wrote. “I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!”

Mr. Newsom hit back at Mr. Trump, saying that he is trying to “politicize it.”

“People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools, families completely torn asunder, churches burned down,” Mr. Newsom said on CNN. “This guy wanted to politicize it.”

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.