Celebrities and the firefighter union have hit out at US President Donald Trump for his tweet blaming "gross mismanagement" for the devastating California wildfires.
The death toll of the northern California wildfires has climbed to 29, matching the deadliest in the state's history.
More than 100 people are missing as firefighters battle high winds and dry conditions.
Mr Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to blame the fires' cause as forest mismanagement and threatened to withdraw related federal funding.
"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. 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!"
Firefighters work to extinguish a flare-up of the Woolsey Fire on a hillside in West Hills, California, USA, 11 November 2018. Source: AAP
He later paid tribute to those affected by the fires.
But the tweet sparked fierce condemnation from the International Association of Fire Fighters.
In a statement, the union for firefighters said as wildfires threaten lives and homes "Trump has chosen to respond with an irresponsible, reckless and insulting tweet criticizing the work being done on the frontline to contain these disasters".
"While fire fighters and civilians are still in harm's way, the president even suggested cutting off necessary funding to keep Americans safe."
California Professional Firefighters president Briace Rice also labelled the tweet as "ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning".
"At a time when our every effort should be focused on vanquishing the destructive fires and helping the victims, the president has chosen instead to issue an uninformed political threat aimed squarely at the innocent victims of these cataclysmic fires," the statement read.
On Monday, actor Gerard Butler posted a photo of himself in front of his home, which had been destroyed by the fire.
He encouraged Americans to donate to the brave "men and women" firefighters battling the blaze.
Singer Katy Perry and comedian Kathy Griffin were among the celebrities to hit out at Mr Trump after his tweet.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio also responded to Mr Trump's tweet, saying the disaster should not be a political issue.
Firefighters took advantage of a brief calm overnight to make headway against the multiple blazes, but conditions were expected to be hellish on Sunday with winds reaching as high as 110km/h.
In fire zones north and south, acrid smoke blanketed the sky. On the ground, cars caught in the blaze were reduced to metal carcasses, while powerlines were gnawed by the flames.
The largest inferno - the so-called "Camp Fire" in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains north of Sacramento - has destroyed 6,700 homes, business and other buildings in the town of Paradise, effectively wiping it off the map.
