Gavin Newsom is sounding the alarm.
Just five months after historic wildfires ripped through the greater Los Angeles area, the Ranch Fire is prompting evacuations in nearby San Bernardino County's Apple Valley. Late on Wednesday, June 11, authorities warned that the blaze is severely threatening multiple structures, and as warm temperatures and fast winds risk further fueling the inferno, the state's emergency services may be ill-equipped to stop it.

"The Ranch Fire in San Bernardino is 4,000 acres and growing. Meanwhile, 5 of California's 14 National Guard fire crews are understaffed… because Trump deployed them for a political stunt in LA. This isn't just illegal. It's dangerous," California's Democratic governor posted on X on Wednesday morning.
A day earlier, Newsom called out Donald Trump for commandeering California's National Guard and deploying thousands of troops to Los Angeles to shut down anti-ICE protests in the wake of a series of raids across the city.
"Donald Trump, without consulting with California's law enforcement leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state's National Guard members to deploy on our streets. Illegally, and for no reason. This brazen abuse of power by a sitting President inflamed a combustible situation putting our people, our officers, and the National Guard at risk," he wrote on June 10.
As for the Ranch Fire, containment of the blaze reportedly grew to 10% by Wednesday morning, though officials warned that weather conditions through Thursday could impede further progress.
CAL FIRE noted that "increasing southerly winds, with gusts up to 32 mph" on Wednesday afternoon created "conditions that may challenge containment efforts."
"Poor to moderate overnight recovery is expected, with similar weather continuing into Thursday," the agency said. "Crews will focus on strengthening containment lines, protecting structures, and continuing mop-up efforts throughout the day."
At least one home has been destroyed so far.
Newsom's post about the Ranch Fire earned plenty of heat on X. One critic asked the social media platform's Grok bot to clarify if it's "typical of the leftist California government to send the guard out right away" opposed to sending "civilian fireman first to deal with the flames."
"If the answer is no, isn't it hypocritical of this leftist to send the guard out right away like he claim and lied that Trump did?" the critic asked.
Wrote Grok, "In California, civilian firefighters, like those from CAL FIRE, typically respond first to wildfires, with the National Guard called in for large-scale fires. No evidence shows Governor Newsom deploying the Guard for the Ranch Fire; he's criticizing Trump's deployment of 2,000 Guard troops to Los Angeles for protests, claiming it understaffs fire crews. This isn't hypocritical, as Newsom isn't mirroring Trump's actions but highlighting their impact on firefighting resources. The claim about understaffed crews lacks full verification."
While the National Guard may not fight every wildfire, it's worth noting that more than 2,700 National Guard members responded to the Pacific Palisades fire in January. They also participated in mop-up efforts after the fires, working in conjunction with CAL FIRE.