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In mid-September 2020, Snopes readers asked for verification of social media posts that reported U.S. President Donald Trump had attributed wildfires raging on the West Coast to exploding trees. Trump made the comments during a Sept. 15, 2020, appearance on the Fox News show Fox & Friends after being asked by co-host Brian Kilmeade about the role of climate change in California wildfires, and what he believes the appropriate action should be. Here is Trump's response to the question. We added emphasis on the portion relevant to the claim. Although Trump did comment about explosive trees and their role in starting wildfires, it's unclear whether he was using the word explosive when he really meant flammable. It's impossible for trees to spontaneously explode. The Fox & Friends call-in was not the first time Trump made explosive tree comments. He also made the comment about explosive trees while discussing the wildfires with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 14, 2020, while visiting the state to view damage and meet with officials. At least 35 people have died, and millions of acres have burned in wildfires ranging from California to Washington in late summer 2020 which have blanketed the entire region in smoke. Although the historic wildfires were fueled by a variety of causes and conditions — including dry lightning strikes, downed power lines, and in the case of the El Dorado fire in California, a pyrotechnic device launched during a gender reveal party — experts say that climate change likely exacerbated them. Notably, Elisabeth Köstinger, the Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, refuted Trump's claims that Austrians reside in forest cities in a piece published by British newspaper The Independent. You will find no 'forest cities' in Austria, she wrote. You will find habitats closely intertwined with forests. She also emphasized that while Austria doesn't have exploding trees, the country has learned to sustainably co-exist with nature so that natural habitats can flourish: Here is video of Trump's comments on Fox & Friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwR0XxXKv48&t=6s
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