INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Finland has been left baffled after Donald Trump praised the country for managing its massive forests by raking
The US president told reporters while visiting the ruins of the northern California town where a fire killed at least 77 people that
wildfires were not a problem in Finland because crews "spend a lot of time on raking".He went on: "You look at other countries where they do
nation.' And they spent a lot of time raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem."Finnish President Sauli
Niinisto said in an interview published in the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper that he spoke briefly with Mr Trump about managing forests on 11
November when they were both in Paris for Armistice Day commemorations.Mr Niinisto said their conversation focused on the California
wildfires and the surveillance system Finland uses to monitor forests for fires.
3:27
Video:Trump tours communities wiped out by wildfiresHe said he remembered telling the president that "we take care of our forests", but has
no recollection of the subject of raking being brought up.Mr Niinisto said: "I mentioned to him that Finland is a land covered by forests
and we also have a good monitoring system and network."The president's comments have inspired Finns to post pictures of themselves raking on
social media.At the weekend Mr Trump visited areas in northern and southern California that have been devastated by two massive wildfires.He
pledged that better forest management practices will diminish future risks.More from California WildfiresHe said: "We have to do management,
maintenance and we'll be working also with environmental groups
I think everybody's seen the light."I don't think we'll have this again to this extent
Hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one."
