California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims he was “physically in the midst” of firefighting efforts during 2025’s Los Angeles wildfires — months after claiming his hair “literally burst” during the inferno.
The Palisades fire killed at least 31 people and destroyed around 18,000 homes and structures. Getty ImagesNewsom said in an interview that aired Monday that he witnessed the devastating blaze up close after it was sparked last January, eventually killing at least 31 people and destroying some 18,000 homes and structures.
The aftermath of 2025’s Palisades wildfire, with homes destroyed. Getty Images“It was like a bomb going off, no other way to describe it,” Newsom told MS NOW’s Jacob Soboroff.
“And I was there just a few hours after the fire, and was there physically in the midst of the firefighting as I went up into the foothills and experienced firsthand what our first responders were dealing with.”
The governor previously told podcaster Shawn Ryan he was so close to the fires after they ignited on Jan. 7, 2025 that his famous slicked-back mane “literally burst” after a smoldering ember landed in his hair.
Newsom’s interview with MS NOW took place during the lead-up to the anniversary of the 2025 California wildfires.
“I was up there in the hills with these guys when we all turned around — when my hair literally burst. There’s a video of it,” Newsom said in July. “And they threw me in the car and a guy hits my hair, and throws me in the car and says, ‘Get the f–k out of here!’”
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The three fires still burning in LA as of Tuesday — Hurst, Palisades and Eaton — and the acreage they have burned. New York PostVideo provided by the governor’s office didn’t show the exact moment, but a CAL FIRE deputy director told The Post he “smacked or brushed’ an ember that had fallen into Newsom’s hair.
The governor is set to visit a frustrated Los Angeles this week alongside the one-year anniversary of the deadly wildfires, as residents plan to protest in fire-ravaged areas like the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Frustrated locals are demanding federal intervention, disaster aid and stepped-up rebuilding efforts.
Newsom plans to meet with fire victims on Jan. 7, The Post first reported.
Newsom claims he was “physically in the midst of” firefighting efforts as the inferno consumed much of the Palisades. MS NOWThe Democrat told MS NOW the city has made “tremendous progress” in its recovery efforts and pointed the finger at President Trump for failing to petition Congress for roughly $34 billion in federal disaster aid.
“They were simply unavailable at any time for even a moment to just engage,” Newsom said.
LA Mayor Karen Bass, Sen. Alex Padilla and Gov. Newsom survey the wildfire damage in 2025. Getty ImagesNewsom, who is expected to launch a 2028 presidential bid, was asked how voters should view his handling of the fires — and again cast himself in opposition to Trump.
Newsom, pictured with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, is set to visit a frustrated Los Angeles this week. AP“I’m still there, having the backs of the folks down there. You’re going to find folks, of course, people are out there, furious, upset. I get it,” Newsom said.
“But we continue to go back and we’ll have their backs, unlike the president of the United States, who’s not done a damn thing, hasn’t lifted a finger. So you talk about the attributes for a president of the United States, take a look at what you’ve got and consider the opposite.”
