United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday (Jan 12) called politicians in California "incompetent'' over their response to controlling the ravaging wildfires in Los Angeles (LA). 

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In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The fires are still raging in LA. The incompetent pols (politicians) have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost."

"There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?" he added. 

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Death toll in wildfires climbs to 16

Trump's remarks came as the death toll due to the wildfires climbed to 16 as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds returned that could push the flames towards some of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said in a statement Saturday evening.

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Also read | LA wildfires: Lottery winner loses entire mansion worth $3.8 million in blaze

There were fears that winds could move the fires towards the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge, a report by the news agency Associated Press said. 

California Guv Newsom deflects blame over response

California Governor Gavin Newsom deflected the blame when he was asked about the public anger over his administration's response to controlling the wildfires, citing he was not getting straight answers.

During a recent podcast, Governor Newsom said that local leaders and his team failed to provide him with a clear picture of the situation.

Also read | California Governor Newsom deflects blame as wildfires claim 16 lives

“So, I’m the governor of California and wanna know the answer. I’ve got that question, I can’t tell you, by how many people,What happened?– on my own team,What happened?’… I’ll be candid with you, I wasn’t getting straight answers,Newsom added.

(With inputs from agencies)