The people of Finland have reacted with bemusement on social media at Donald Trump’s assertions that the country rakes its forests to help prevent forest fires.
Speaking on Saturday in Paradise, California, about the role of forest management in stemming wildfires, Trump said: “I was with the president of Finland and he said: ‘We have, much different, we are a forest nation.’ He called it a forest nation. And they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don’t have any problem.”
Finnish social media users immediately posted a range of jokes about Trump’s comments, which do not reflect the reality of how forests are managed in the country.
Not on my watch!#Rakenews pic.twitter.com/SOt8LHQZjt
— Arto Aspfors (@aspfors) November 18, 2018
There were also people on hand to point out that the factors affecting whether there are forest fires are very different in California and Finland:
I grew up in Finland. a) it rains all year round. b) we have a lengthy and cold winter. c) Finland is a sparsely populated country with just over 5mil ppl, with land size ~3/4 of CA and most of it forests and lakes. d) no friggin body is raking the forests.
— Malla Hadley (@mallahadley) November 17, 2018
For his part, Sauli Niinistö appears to recall the conversation somewhat differently. He said although he told Trump that the Finns took care of their forests, he did not specifically recall mentioning raking as part of the planning.
In an interview reported by Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Niinisto said he met Trump briefly in Paris earlier in November, and on the topic of the California wildfires told him: “Finland is a country covered by forests,” and that to avoid forest fires “we have a good surveillance system and network”.
The rake theme, though, provided a handy pun on Trump’s campaign slogan:
Make America Rake Again. #MARA @realDonaldTrump #Finland pic.twitter.com/rpabRtT5yo
— Stephen Sutton (@Stippidoo) November 18, 2018
Others asserted that raking was such a big part of Finnish culture that it was the inspiration behind the nation’s biggest selling song:
Incidentally, the most popular Finnish record of all times is about raking as well. The title song ”I Raked All of This” was to be purchased by everybody according to law. pic.twitter.com/c6Cvg9R93O
— Antti Holma (@anttiholma) November 17, 2018
One Finn asserted that even Helsinki’s landmarks are a commandment to look after the nation’s forest environment:
In central Helsinki, an illuminated sign reminds us of our duty to rake. #rakenews #finland #californiafires pic.twitter.com/XlYemqJEhN
— Aapo Rautiainen (@aaporau) November 18, 2018
Most importantly, the Finns showed that they are proud as a nation to never neglect their raking duties, even under the snow:
Here in Finland we rake the forests even in winter, just in case.#rakenews #RakeAmericaGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/XAjZpgWEbw
— Ilmari Kamila (@IlmariKamila) November 18, 2018
Some people couldn’t resist reusing an internet meme to drag Trump further about the raking, twisting the popular image of the US president with a small child mowing the White House lawn.
— RustyBertrand (@RustyBertrand) November 18, 2018
Trump’s comments about Finland’s forest management come after a summer where forest fires did rage in the Arctic Circle, with Finland’s neighbour Sweden most affected.
Despite the humour on display on social media, the California forest fires have been one of the most serious natural disasters to hit the US state – with the death toll at 79, and almost 1,300 people still unaccounted for.
Trump continues to primarily blame forest management – having tweeted: “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.”