President George W. Bush reaffirmed on Thursday federal aid to fire-ravaged areas in Southern California.
After an aerial "heartbreaking" tour of the devastation, Bush told reporters that federal resources are deployed as needed and people affected can apply for assistance.
He pledged that all departments at the federal level would " assess the needs, listen to the concerns and respond."
"I've come to made sure that the federal government are to provide the help for people at the local level," He said. "It is very important for me to see at first-hand the situation."
He said he wanted to let firefighters to know "how much I appreciate and how much the country appreciates" their courage and bravery.
During the tour of fire-ravaged communities, Bush dismissed comparisons between the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires.
"There's all kinds of time for historians to compare this response to that response," Bush said, adding that getting help to people who are hurting is the most important thing.
The Bush administration has been trying hard to avoid the same mistake two years ago when Bush's slow response to Hurricane Katrina drew harsh criticism.
Fran Townsend, Bush's White House-based homeland security adviser, said the disaster response to California fires is unfolding "exactly the way it should be" and is
"better and faster " than the administration's performance after Katrina.
"This is not the end of federal assistance. It's just the beginning," she said.
On Wednesday, Bush declared the fires a major disaster, setting in motion long-term federal recovery program.
The fires have destroyed about 2,200 structures and led to the largest evacuation in California history. Eleven people died directly or indirectly from the fires and 64 others were injured.
The flames have burned at least 431,000 acres (about 175,000 hectares) of land across five counties. Property damage has reached at least 1 billion dollars in San Diego County alone.
After an aerial "heartbreaking" tour of the devastation, Bush told reporters that federal resources are deployed as needed and people affected can apply for assistance.
He pledged that all departments at the federal level would " assess the needs, listen to the concerns and respond."
"I've come to made sure that the federal government are to provide the help for people at the local level," He said. "It is very important for me to see at first-hand the situation."
He said he wanted to let firefighters to know "how much I appreciate and how much the country appreciates" their courage and bravery.
During the tour of fire-ravaged communities, Bush dismissed comparisons between the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires.
"There's all kinds of time for historians to compare this response to that response," Bush said, adding that getting help to people who are hurting is the most important thing.
The Bush administration has been trying hard to avoid the same mistake two years ago when Bush's slow response to Hurricane Katrina drew harsh criticism.
Fran Townsend, Bush's White House-based homeland security adviser, said the disaster response to California fires is unfolding "exactly the way it should be" and is
"better and faster " than the administration's performance after Katrina.
"This is not the end of federal assistance. It's just the beginning," she said.
On Wednesday, Bush declared the fires a major disaster, setting in motion long-term federal recovery program.
The fires have destroyed about 2,200 structures and led to the largest evacuation in California history. Eleven people died directly or indirectly from the fires and 64 others were injured.
The flames have burned at least 431,000 acres (about 175,000 hectares) of land across five counties. Property damage has reached at least 1 billion dollars in San Diego County alone.
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