REDDING, California (AFP) — President George W. Bush visited on Thursday areas of California scorched by the biggest wildfires in the state in decades.
"I'd like to just let the people out here know that we are paying attention in Washington DC, we care about you and that we respond as best as we possibly can," Bush said after arriving in this northern California city to survey the damage done by the blazes.
Later Bush, his sleeves rolled up, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met with firefighters.
"These are unusual people, who are very courageous, determined and dedicated and I had this special sense, when I was with them, of esprit de corps," Bush told reporters.
Bush was set to fly with Schwarzenegger and local officials by helicopter over a national forest ravaged by the fires.
Nearly 2,000 fires were raging at one point in California after lightning ignited decades-old brush and parkland throughout the state on June 20. At least one person died and about 100 homes were destroyed.
About 3,500 square kilometers (900,000 acres) of land were burned, according to Mark Rey, the agriculture department's under secretary for natural resources, who accompanied Bush.
The wildfires are the largest single fire event in California since the state began recording statistics in 1936, according to the governor's office.
In terms of loss of life and property, however, the crisis is substantially smaller than the wildfires in California last October which left eight people dead, destroyed 2,000 homes and caused two billion dollars damage.
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