California’s Governor has been slammed for ‘shimmying’ as he discussed land devastated by the LA wildfires in a recent interview.
Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared on FOX 11 in Los Angeles on Monday while he was in the county assessing the damage caused by LA’s worst recorded wildfires in history – which has decimated tens of thousands of acres and entire neighborhoods.
“We’re dealing with a myriad of issues, I was just talking to Josh Green, the governor of [pauses as he collects his thoughts]… down in Hawaii,” Newsom tells the TV station, before then appearing to do some sort of dance with his shoulders.
While quickly swaying from side to side, he continued: “Who had some ideas about some land use concerns he has around speculators coming in, buying up properties, and the like.
“So, we’re already working with our legal teams to move those things forward and we’ll be presenting those in a matter of days, not just weeks.”
His performance on screen didn’t please many over on Twitter, with users speculating that he was either nervous or excited.
One user posted: “I wasn’t really concerned about developers buying up all of the property devastated by the California wildfires until Gavin did his weird shoulder shimmy dance while talking about developers buying up all the property devastated by the California wildfires.”
“Yeah, when he starts moving around he’s up to no good. He’s about to make mucho money off this tragedy,” another wrote.
While a third added: “He’s dancing and shimmying knowing he just accepted millions under the table by developers while others are trying to figure out where to even begin to rebuild.”
UNILAD has contacted California Governor Newsom for comment.
Since January 7, parts of LA has been engulfed in flames, with four fires still burning through thousands of acres.
It all began with the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires all setting alight on the first day. Since then, the Palisades Fire has burned through 23,713 acres with only 19 percent of it in containment, stretching between Malibu and Santa Monica.
The Eaton Fire has burned through 14,117 acres with 45 percent containment, the Hurst Fire has damaged 799 acres with 97 percent of it contained, while the newest Auto Fire has spread across 61 acres with 47 percent containment.
A long list of celebrities have seen their homes burned to the ground, as well as thousands of residents, as strong winds stoked the fires and helped them spread – scorching entire town’s to the ground.
What we know so far about the LA wildfires
2 January
The first warning
The US National Weather Service issued a warning of potential strong Santa Ana winds and extreme fire conditions five days before the first wildfire broke out.
In the following days, a Fire Weather Watch warning was issued, as well as state and local officials giving warnings to the Los Angeles area.
7 January
The first fire ignites
The Palisade’s Fire ignites, triggering an emergency call to be sent to LA residents advising people near the fire to get set for ‘a potential evacuation’.
Later that day, however, the City of Santa Monica issued an Evacuation Order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente: “Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW.”
Two more wildfires begin
Just hours after the first wildfire ignites, the second – named the Eaton Fire – breaks out in the Altadena area of LA.
And following this, the Hurst Fire ignites in LA’s Sylmar area as the National Weather Service report gusts of 99mph. A new evacuation order goes out to those in the affected areas as the blazes rapidly spread, scorching and destroying thousands of acres that contain homes and businesses.
9 January
Prison inmates deployed to help fight fires
Hundreds of incarcerated men and women were deployed to help fight the growing wildfires, with the number of inmates at the frontline standing at 939, the BBC reports.
This practice isn’t uncommon in California, as it is one of 14 US states that uses inmates to help fight fires. Inmates aren’t forced to take part and do so on their own accord, with it being reported they are being paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day.
However, inmates with certain convictions – such as arson and sexual offences – aren’t eligible to volunteer.
10 January
Man arrested for arson
Three days on from the first fire igniting, the LAPD make an arrest after local residents claim that a man on a bike carrying a large blow torch had been trying to set bins and old Christmas trees on fire.
Authorities believe the Kenneth Fire was started intentionally, with the man believed to be responsible being held in custody.
Billion dollar energy company investigated over possible link to wildfires
Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of energy giant Edison International, admitted that its grid experienced a short circuit issue on 7th January, the evening the first fires broke out.
“On January 10, Southern California Edison (SCE) filed an Electric Safety Incident Report (ESIR) related to the Hurst Fire once SCE learned fire agencies are investigating whether SCE equipment was involved in the ignition, which is a triggering event for reporting,” Edison International said in a press release.
“SCE noted that the fire was reported at approximately 10:10pm on 7 January, and preliminary information reflects the Eagle Rock – Sylmar 220 kV circuit experienced a relay at 10:11pm. A downed powerline was discovered at a tower associated with the Eagle Rock – Sylmar 220 kV circuit. SCE does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire.”
A-list celebrities forced out of their homes
A number of celebrities have been forced to evacuate their homes, many of which have been destroyed. This includes the likes of Paris Hilton, Miles Teller, Anna Faris, Billy Crystal and Eugene Levy.
13 January
40,000 acres of land destroyed
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 40,000 acres have been burned in the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires.
Homes and businesses are among the more than 12,000 structures that have been destroyed.
14 January
LA mayor expedites rebuilding orders
Karen Bass, Los Angeles’ mayor, issued an executive order on Monday evening ‘will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities’ destroyed by the wildfires.
Death toll rises
As of 15 Jan, 25 people are confirmed to have lost their lives due do the fires.
