California Wildfire Evacuee Family "Unauthorized Entry on Private Property"
▲Photo of Kamala Harris, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, at a wildfire site in California (Source=Kamala Harris' Facebook)
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A family displaced by a wildfire in the United States expressed outrage after Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris (California) was photographed in front of their burned house.
On the 17th (local time), according to Fox News and others, the son of a wildfire evacuee in California posted this on Facebook, sparking controversy.
According to reports, Senator Harris and other federal lawmakers from California visited Fresno County on the 15th to assess the wildfire damage.
Senator Harris, along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, visited a house reduced to ashes and posted a photo taken there on her Facebook on the 16th.
The displaced family residing in the house in the photo protested, saying, "An evacuation order was issued, so even the affected family could not check the damage status, yet Senator Harris trespassed on private property without permission."
The son of the displaced family who posted the message, Trampers Patton, said, "This is our parents' private property," and criticized, "The two politicians used someone else's misfortune as an opportunity to take photos to push their political agenda."
His sister, Bailey Patton, also expressed frustration in an interview with a local media outlet, saying, "We lost our home but couldn't even inspect the site," and "Instead, we are watching through social media and news reporting on Senator Harris's visit."
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office responded to the Patton family's claim of unauthorized trespassing on private property by stating, "There is no clear legal regulation on whether lawmakers must obtain permission from private property owners when visiting wildfire sites."
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