On January 2, 2025, US President Biden arrived on the South Lawn of the White House when returning to Washington, DC from Camp David.
Chris Klebonis | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. President Joe Biden has canceled an upcoming trip to Italy due to California wildfires, the White House said on Wednesday, adding that he wanted to focus on guiding the federal government’s comprehensive response to the fires.
The White House announced in December that Biden would visit Italy from January 9 to 12 to meet with Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni.
President Biden returns tonight from Los Angeles, where earlier today he met with police, fire and emergency personnel who are battling the region’s historic fires and approved a major disaster declaration for California amid his decision to cancel the upcoming access.
Wildfires raging around Los Angeles spread into the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday after five more fires broke out in the area, killing at least five people, destroying hundreds of homes and stretching firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit.
