The US Federal Emergency Management Administration has apologised for having its employees pose as reporters at a hastily arranged news conference.

No actual reporters were able to attend Fema's televised briefing on the fires in California on Tuesday because they were only given 15 minutes' notice.

Instead, press officers asked questions many described as soft and gratuitous.

A spokeswoman for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called the incident "inexcusable and offensive".

"We have made it clear that stunts such as this will not be tolerated or repeated," Laura Keehner said, adding that the department was considering whether or not to reprimand those responsible. →