(NEXSTAR) – In the wake of several deadly California wildfires, a new poll shows how Americans are reacting to the disaster, which left at least two dozen people dead and reduced entire neighborhoods to charred rubble.
According to an Emerson College Poll of 1,000 registered voters, a majority (58%) said they thought climate change contributed to the wildfires while 42% said it did not.
“Young voters are most likely to say climate change has contributed to the wildfires in California, at 74% among voters under 30, compared to 70% of those in their 30s, 61% in their 40s, 48% of those in their 50s, and increasing back to 53% of voters 70 and older,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a news release.
The historic wildfires were fueled by a combination of powerful Santa Ana winds, gusting at roughly 100 mph, and dry vegetation.
University of California Merced climate and fire scientist John Abatzoglou says there is a clear link between climate change and the increasingly-common conditions that led to the Los Angeles area blazes — dry fall and winter conditions, extreme wind events and plenty of dry fuel.
What about Gov. Newsom’s handling of the fires?
In the wake of the Palisades Fire, President-elect Donald Trump quickly singled out California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his job handling the crisis, calling the response by California politicians “incompetent.”
Newsom responded in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” accusing Trump — who has referred to him as “Gavin Newscum” — of politicizing a disaster and “threatening our first responders.” California’s governor and other local officials have invited Trump see the impact of the fires and to thank first responders. As of Tuesday, it was still unclear if Trump’s team was planning a trip to the disaster zone.
Questions about the state’s handling of the fires isn’t just coming from Trump and his supporters, however. Newsom himself has called for an investigation after fire hydrants in wildfire zones lost water pressure when firefighters needed it most.
Only 30% of voters polled by Emerson College approved of Newsom’s handling of the wildfire response, with 42% disapproving and 28% neutral.
Newsom, who will leave office in 2026 after completing his final term, already faced criticism for a lack of affordable housing, growing homelessness and an insurance crisis that has resulted in the cancellation of policies before the wildfires broke out.
“The Governor’s approval highlights sharp partisan divides in the perception of response: 61% of Republicans and 43% of independents disapprove of Governor Newsom’s response to the wildfires while 49% of Democrats approve,” Kimball said.
On Sunday, Newsom announced an executive order streamlining the rebuilding process for people who lost their homes.
“When the fires are extinguished, victims who have lost their homes and businesses must be able to rebuild quickly and without roadblocks,” Newsom said in a statement on Sunday. “The executive order I signed today will help cut permitting delays, an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger. I’ve also ordered our state agencies to identify additional ways to streamline the rebuilding and recovery process.”
As of Tuesday, the Palisades and Eaton Fires had scorched at least 37,000 acres and destroyed roughly 17,000 structures in what experts say could be the most expensive natural disaster in the history of the country.