Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., blamed officials in California for the current wildfires ravaging the area around Los Angeles, telling Newsmax on Wednesday that they have not been managing the forests correctly for a long time.

Appearing on “Wake Up America”, the Montana Republican said that “wildfires are indicative of not managing for years. These wildfires now are large scale, taking up a lot of property, ruining people’s lives, and they’re dangerous. But we have to go back to management of the forest,” adding “what a catastrophe in California. Yet another disaster.”

Zinke was very critical of California officials for what he determined was their lack of forest management that could help possibly control these fires during his tenure as secretary of the interior in President Donald Trump’s first term.

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