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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) offered assistance to California on Wednesday as the state struggles with severe forest fires in the greater Los Angeles area.
“Our prayers are with all those affected by the terrible wildfires in Southern California,” DeSantis said in a post on X social platform. “When disaster strikes, we must come together to help our fellow citizens in any way we can.”
“The state of Florida has offered assistance to help the people of California respond to these fires and rebuild the communities that have been devastated,” he wrote.
Newsom stated a state of emergency on Tuesday like the Pacific Palisades wildfire grew, forcing thousands to evacuate. The fire has grown to nearly 3,000 acres with zero containment, according to Cal Fire.
In addition, two other fires, the Eaton and Hurst, have continued to spread.
Both governors are seen as rising stars in their respective parties. DeSantis and Newsom have a rivalry that dates back to the coronavirus pandemic.
California has long been seen as a quintessentially blue state, while Florida has become the epicenter of the Republican Party in recent years. In 2023 they both came face to face for a Fox News debate while DeSantis was running in the Republican presidential primary.
Despite their political and ideological differences, Newsom has also offered aid to Florida when it was dealing with its own natural disasters. In October, the leader of the Golden State deployed a number of first responders from California to Florida Hurricane Milton devastated the west coast of the state.
