President-elect Donald Trump discussed the Los Angeles wildfires that have seen thousands of homes destroyed and 24 people lose their lives during an interview on Monday.
While speaking with Newsmax, Trump discussed a stark outlook on the fires, saying that while the death count currently sits at two dozen, he expects there to be even more pulled from the ashes.
“They’re going to find many bodies, you know. Only the dogs will find them, right? You know, German Shepherds will. They can pick out the ashes immediately. It’s amazing,” Trump said with Newsmax. “But we’re gonna find many bodies and many more, many more dead.”
The fires first broke out last Tuesday, and because of already dry conditions and strong winds, the fires have been raging across Los Angeles County, burning up more than 12,000 structures.
Trump has criticized officials in California over their handling of the fires, which many are calling the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. Over the weekend, he shared on social media that he couldn’t believe the fires were still raging, calling officials “incompetent.”
The president-elect is considering visiting California to assess the damage in person but shared that what he’s seen photos of has left him speechless and comparing it to the aftermath of an atomic bomb.
“I believe it’s greater damage than if they got hit by a nuclear weapon. I’ve never seen anything like it. Vast miles and miles of houses just burned to a crisp. There’s nothing standing,” Trump told the outlet.
Entire neighborhoods have been left in ashes as the fires have burned more than 40,000 acres. For reference, San Francisco has roughly 30,000 acres of land area.
Trump shared that after the fires are put out, he will work to help refurbish the area with new developments, noting a possible return to real estate.
“We’re gonna do things with Los Angeles. You know, I’m already putting my developer cap on because it looks literally– I just saw some very guarded pictures of it. And it’s far worse than you even see on television, if that’s believable,” he said.