Biden canceled his trip to Italy due to the California wildfires

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden has canceled a planned trip to Italy because of the California wildfires, the White House said on Wednesday, saying he wanted to focus on leading the full federal response to the blaze.

The White House announced in December that Bayonne would visit Italy from January 9-12 to meet with Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he worked with police, fire and emergency workers to battle the historic fires raging in the area, and after approving a state of emergency for California, President Biden has decided to cancel his upcoming trip. Italy will focus on leading the full federal response in the coming days. The White House said in a statement.

A raging wildfire around Los Angeles spread into the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, destroying hundreds of homes and stretching firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit after five other fires in the area killed at least five people.