LOS ANGELES - California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused tech billionaire Elon Musk of spreading "lies" about the state's response to deadly wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, escalating their online row over swirling misinformation.
President-elect Donald Trump and Musk -- the Tesla and SpaceX owner poised to play a key role advising the incoming administration –- have stepped up criticism of the governor's handling of the devastating blazes that have killed at least 24 people and displaced tens of thousands.
In a post on his social media platform X, Musk blamed the huge loss of homes in Los Angeles on "bad governance at a state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water."
"(Musk) exposed by firefighters for his own lies," Newsom posted late Sunday, alongside a video clip showing the tycoon asking a firefighter whether water availability was an issue.
The firefighter replied there was water in "several reservoirs," and added that battling large-scale fires required supplementing the effort with water trucks.
In a separate spat over the weekend, Newsom accused Musk of "encouraging looting by lying," after the billionaire amplified a post on X that falsely claimed the governor and his fellow Democrats had "decriminalised looting."
"It's illegal -- as it always has been," Newsom responded, amid concerns of a looting spree in areas where people were forced to flee the fires.
"Bad actors will be arrested and prosecuted," he added.
Musk's personal account on X, which has more than 212 million followers, has become increasingly influential and has often courted criticism for amplifying misinformation.
One viral video debunked by the misinformation watchdog NewsGuard had falsely claimed fire department officials were desperately using women's handbags to fight the flames because their resources had been diverted to "woke causes" and war assistance to Ukraine.
But the water-filled pouches seen in the video were actually "canvas bags," carried by firefighters because they were easier to use for extinguishing small flames than having to haul out a hose, the entertainment news site TMZ cited local officials as saying.