As wildfires caused at least two dozen deaths and billions of dollars in damages, some social media users accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of slashing money to prevent fires. Many posts including by Fox News stated Newsom cut about $100 million in fire prevention from the state’s budget months before the Los Angeles fires.

Just over $100 million was cut from California's wildfire and forest resilience fund in the latest budget, though total spending has grown sharply since 2014.

As wildfires in California caused at least two dozen deaths and billions of dollars in damages, some social media users accused Governor Gavin Newsom of slashing money to prevent fires. Many posts including by Fox News stated Newsom cut about $100m in fire prevention from the state’s budget months before the Los Angeles fires.

Gavin Newsom has arrived for the photo op of him watching his state burn to the ground,” controversial account Libs of TikTok wrote alongside the video.

On social media, President-elect Donald Trump amplified a claim that California Gov. Gavin Newsom slashed the state's fire budget by $100 million just months before the outbreak of the recent wildfires.

Residents have fumed after a Gov. Gavin Newsom appears to 'shimmy' while visiting a neighborhood decimated by the LA wildfires

California Governor Gavin Newsom has ... the California Fire Facts website states that "the number of CalFIRE [California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection] personnel has nearly doubled ...

A review of California Gov. Newsom's budget cuts shows fire prevention funding was reduced substantially just months before the California fires.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Reeling from destructive wildfires, including the deadliest in California history, state lawmakers in 2020 passed new requirements for clearing combustible materials like dead plants and wooden furniture within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of homes in risky areas.

Actor Mel Gibson and podcaster Joe Rogan ripped into California Gov. Gavin Newsom for being ... Total funding for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) for fire ...

Newsweek has contacted the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom for comment ... the latest figures from California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), after a new ...

President-elect Donald Trump and some social media users and pundits blamed Los Angeles’ deadly fires on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying the Democrat’s environmental policies enabled the blazes’ danger and wreckage.