Briefing ends with Biden sharing birth of great-grandchildpublished at 19:36 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January
The very brief and difficult to hear briefing (neither Biden or Newsom had microphones) came to a close with the outgoing president reflect on his family.
He says his son - Hunter Biden - has a home in southern California, and initially they thought it had been damaged in the fires.
The president says he now believes the home to be okay before turning to a more personal topic: the birth of his eldest granddaughter's first child.
"The good news is, as of today, I'm a great-grandfather," Biden says, a comment that is welcomed with applause from reporters and officials in the room.
Naomi Biden, the 31-year-old daughter of the president's son Hunter, announced her pregnancy in November in a social media post to mark Election Day.
Watch: Biden announces he's a great-grandfather during wildfire briefing