In an interview aired Wednesday night, Trump said he may withhold aid to California until the state adjusts how it manages its scarce water resources. He falsely claimed that California’s fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas.

WASHINGTON – Southern California’s ongoing wildfires — which so far have killed 27 and burned down at least 10,000 homes — are expected to need billions of dollars in disaster

The South is bracing for a major winter storm, most of the nation remains gripped by extreme cold, and high winds could fan flames in California.

A dangerous winter storm sweeping across the South has prompted Blizzard Warnings for portions of Texas and Louisiana, new wildfires have erupted in Southern California, and the polar vortex continues to tighten its grip across the U.

More than 220 million people across the United States are facing dangerous cold that will also open the door for a potentially historic and crippling winter storm that could deliver snow as far south as Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

Snow covered the white-sand beaches of normally sunny vacation spots, including Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida. The heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain hitting parts of the Deep South came as a blast of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.

The devastation caused by Southern California wildfires has uprooted entire communities, leaving some Louisiana natives directly in the path of destruction. Dillon Couvillon, originally from Port Allen, lives in West Hollywood, just seven blocks from the flames. He described the scene as something out of a nightmare.

A Louisiana native now living in Los Angeles shared how he and others have stepped in to help those in need. Jalen St. Romain, better known as “DJ Noodlez,” a native of the Shreveport, Bossier City area moved to Los Angeles 2 years ago.

Southern California lawmakers on both sides of the aisle largely agree: No conditions on wildfire aid.

California and other Democratic-controlled states would need to atone for “bad behavior” if they wanted federal assistance, one lawmaker said.

Find out why California Republicans are pushing back against conditions on federal disaster aid for wildfire victims.

Why you should listen: The same factors that make Los Angeles an appealing place to live are also the reasons we need a fundamentally different approach to fire. Learn about why fire management in Southern California is different from other parts of the country, the most common causes of fires here and what we can do to prevent them.