The Queen Issued an Official Statement to Donald Trump About the California Wildfires

Queen Elizabeth II has released an official statement to Donald Trump about the California Wildfires. The Queen's statement is very different from the president's own response to the tragedy.

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As the latest string of California wildfires continue to burn and devastate the state, Queen Elizabeth has issued an official response to the tragedy.

Via Buckingham Palace, the Queen released the following statement:

Prince Philip and I offer our deepest sympathies to the people of California, who continue to suffer from the devastating fires across the state.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims, and to all those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. I pay tribute to the courage and dedication of the US emergency services and the volunteers that have provided support.

- Elizabeth R

While the statement itself appears to be directed at the victims of the fires, the release is officially titled: "A message from The Queen to The President of The United States of America." This is significant, given Donald Trump's own, starkly different, response to the tragedy currently affecting thousands on the United States' west coast.

In a series of controversial tweets last Saturday, November 11, Trump blamed California forest management officials for the deadly wildfires and threatened to cut federal aid to the state to combat the issue.

"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor," Trump tweeted. "Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!"

"With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get smart!" Trump added in a follow-up tweet.

As of Saturday, 76 are confirmed dead in the Camp Fire in Northern California, while another 1,276 remain unaccounted for. The Camp Fire is 55 percent contained and has consumed more than 149,000 acres, CBS News reports. The Woolsey Fire outside of Los Angeles in Southern California, meanwhile, is 82 percent contained and has consumed 98,362 acres.

To help those affected by the California wildfires, visit RedCross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make an automatic $10 donation. You can also donate via Facebook's Crisis Response page for the Woolsey Fire, which includes fundraising through GlobalGiving to help those affected by the fire.

Kayleigh Roberts
Weekend Editor

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.