Watch: Gov. Gavin Newsom gives update on California wildfires

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to hold a press conference on wildfires Friday at 11 a.m.

Once the event starts, you can watch the livestream here.

Leaders of the state’s firefighting force, Office of Emergency Services and the California National Guard will also be at the press conference, according to Newsom’s office.

The event comes as California’s resources are strained battling multiple major fires throughout the state threatening thousands of buildings and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate, and as the state continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday night, Newsom addressed the Democratic National Convention through a cell phone video filmed while he was out visiting evacuation centers.

In the video, Newsom said climate change is fueling California’s wildfires and criticized President Donald Trump for threatening to withhold funding to fight them.

He pointed to the lightning-sparked fires burning throughout the state as evidence that the country needs to adopt the stronger environmental protections.

“The hots are getting hotter. The dries are getting drier. Climate change is real,” Newsom said during the video. “If you are in denial about climate change, come to California.”

Newsom also criticized President Donald Trump for threatening to withhold funding from California “because we hadn’t raked enough leaves,” a reference to Trump’s assertion earlier in the day that the state doesn’t do enough to clear its forest floors.

This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 10:49 AM.