Trump Blames 'Incompetent Pols' Over Wildfires

With four major wildfires still burning in the Los Angeles area, President-elect Trump amplified his criticism early Sunday:

• "The fires are still raging in L.A.," he wrote on Truth Social. "The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out. ... This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can't put out the fires. What's wrong with them?"
• It's a sign Trump plans to make the fires—and his ongoing feud with California Gov. Gavin Newsom—a top domestic issue upon becoming president, reports the New York Times. City and state officials have faced criticism over whether they were well enough prepared, particularly in the wake of hydrants running dry.

• The 405: The largest of the fires, the Palisades, continues to move toward a crucial point—the 405 freeway, notes the Washington Post and the AP. If it jumps the freeway, it threatens densely populated Los Angeles neighborhoods, as well as UCLA and the J. Paul Getty Museum.
• Toll, map: The death toll was at 16 early Sunday, but it was expected to rise as cadaver dogs searched scorched areas. See the latest map of the fires at the Los Angeles Times. So far, the wildfires have burned through an area roughly the size of San Francisco and destroyed thousands of homes.

(More President-elect Trump stories.)