Harris was scheduled to leave Monday on the five-day trip, during her final week in office before US President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. The visit to three critical US allies was her last planned overseas traveled as vice president and follows a failed, whirlwind presidential campaign that ended in defeat.
Harris has faced speculation about her next move with some allies seeing a run for governor of California in 2026 as a natural step. Harris was born in the state and she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, have a home in Brentwood, a West Los Angeles enclave.
The Los Angeles area has been grappling with its worst natural disaster in decades, with strong winds fanning flames that have torn through communities. Apreza said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Harris’ home had been put under an evacuation order earlier in the week and that no one was there at the time.
“She and the second gentleman are praying for the safety of their fellow Californians, the heroic first responders, and Secret Service personnel,” Apreza said in the Wednesday post.
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At least five people have died in the disaster so far, with officials fearing the death toll could rise.
The wildfires are poised to become among the most costly in US history, with insurers potentially incurring losses of over US$20 billion ($27.36 billion), according to analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. The blazes are likely to cause between US$52 billion to US$57 billion in damages and economic loss, a preliminary estimate by AccuWeather said.
Harris and Biden received a briefing from senior federal officials on the response to the wildfires earlier Thursday, where the vice president called the situation “apocalyptic”.
Biden also cancelled a trip to Rome and Vatican City to help direct the federal response.
