Trump visits scorched California

President Donald Trump visited fire-ravaged Northern California Saturday, as the death toll from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century rose to 76 and authorities attempted to locate more than 1,000 others. Trump was joined by California Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, both Democrats. Brown welcomed the Republican president’s visit, tweeting, “Now is a time to pull together for the people of California.”

Trump earlier in the week blamed the disaster on forest mismanagement. “I think everybody’s seen the light and I don’t think we’ll have this again to this extent,” he said Saturday from Paradise, Calif., which was largely destroyed by what the president called “this monster.”

Firefighters continued to battle the blaze Saturday, attempting to get ahead of strong winds and low humidity expected Saturday night. Rain is predicted for midweek, which should offer some relief. Officials said the fire, as of Saturday, was 50 percent contained. The devastating blaze started on Nov. 8 and has covered about 230 square miles and destroyed more than 9,800 homes.

The president, who promised the state federal assistance, also visited an operations center and took a helicopter tour of the area. Later Saturday evening, he planned to travel south to Thousand Oaks, Calif., to meet with victims of the Nov. 7 shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill.

Editor’s note: This article was edited late Saturday night to update the number dead.