U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday compared Los Angeles to a "war zone" as multiple large fires continued to engulf neighborhoods across the city.
"It reminded me of more of a war scene, where you had certain targets that were bombarded," Biden said.
The president added that there was "clear evidence of looting" during the mayhem, while also slamming "demagogues" for spreading rampant disinformation about the fires.
"They know every single thing we're doing about this response," Biden said.
However, Biden took a shot at President-elect Donald Trump, who he referred to as "someone from the other team," by mocking his call to sweep the forest floors to reduce fire dangers.
"C'mon man," he said.
Biden said it would be a better idea to bury electricity transmission wires, which would be "a hell of a lot safer" but would cost "a hell of a lot of money" to do.
"There's clear evidence that there's looting," he said at the briefing.
Biden said that's why they've deployed police and National Guard to improve security in the areas affected by the wildfires.
"I know you're getting a bad rap" regarding fire hydrants that aren't working," he said to Mayor Karen Bass during the briefing on Friday. "Give me a break."
Biden pegged the problem to utilities cutting power because they're worried about sparking more fires, which has hampered the ability to pump water.
"This is complicated stuff, and you're going to have a lot of demagogues out there trying to take advantage of it."
Bass appeared virtually at the briefing alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
During the Oval Office briefing, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he expects firefighters to "make a lot of progress" on Friday.
Local leaders have faced sharp criticism for their handling of the fires, some of it coming from right-wing sources.
Newsom said, "We've got to deal with this misinformation."
"People want to divide this country and we're going to have to address this as well," he added.
President Joe Biden hosted a briefing on the wildfires in the Oval Office on Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris was also there, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appeared virtually.
Biden described the fires as the "worst in California history" and "we still got a long way to go."
Although progress has been made, the winds that have fanned the flames could remain a threat for days.
Harris said people responding to the fires are showing "the best of the American spirit."
"There are moments where we should find optimism in the heroism of people, who are taking in strangers, taking in friends," she said.
"The nature center is gone ... the wildflowers, the shrubs are gone," said Richard Smart, Superintendent of the Eaton Canyon Natural Area in Pasadena, in an interview on Thursday.
He said that only a few exterior walls of the Eaton Canyon Nature Center were left standing after wildfires tore through the area. The nature center burned down before, in 1993, and did not reopen until 1997.
"The park is such a touchstone for people in the community, and so to lose that is just - devastating is not even the right word. It feels indescribable," he said.
