Biden says the federal government will cover 100% of fire response costs in Southern California

President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that the federal government will fund 100% of the initial disaster response expenses for the Los Angeles wildfires.

During a White House briefing on the fires, the president stated that government cash will be used to remove debris, provide temporary shelters, and pay first responders. Mr. Biden stated that he is deploying all federal resources available to Southern California, including 400 federal firemen and 30 federal firefighting planes, among other assets.

"I told the governor and local officials, spare no expense," Biden said during the briefing, describing the damage as "catastrophic."

The federal government's 100% disaster response support for the next 180 days is an increase over the president's earlier allotment of 75% and more than the 90% Mr. Biden stated California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked. The destruction is projected to be among the most costly disasters in California history. According to the president, three fires are still blazing, and 179,000 people have been ordered to flee.

He also had a message for residents impacted by the ravaging fires: "We are with you. We are not going anywhere. To the firefighters and first responders, you are heroes."

"The cost of the debris cleanup is gigantic, gigantic. The cost of replacing the housing is almost exponential," he continued. "Anybody can give you a number now, they have no idea what they're talking about. It's big, big, big."

He added, "I'm going to make an appeal right now to the United States Congress. They're going to have to step up when we ask for more help to get people the kind of – they need, to get the kind of help they need. Because it really does matter."

Multiple flames have killed at least five people, destroying houses and burning plants and wildlife in their path. The Palisades fire on the coast is the largest, followed by one in Pasadena further inland.

Officials reported Thursday that more than 1,300 structures were burnt, with another 60,000 threatened, as the fires raged in Southern California's heavily populated and wealthy communities.

Biden canceled his final overseas trip as president to Italy, where he was scheduled to meet with Pope Francis and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in order to focus on the federal response to the tragedy.

Biden stated in his speech that Californians affected can call disasterassistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.

"To the families who have been impacted by this disaster, you're living through a nightmare, I know. And I promise you, we're going to help you get through this and eventually recover and rebuild," Biden said.