US President George W Bush took a helicopter tour Thursday of areas of California devastated by this week's wildfires, reported the DPA. Bush's Air Force One landed at Marine Corps Air Station-Miramar near San Diego and he was greeted by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the smell of smoke still hung in the air. Since the scale of the disaster became apparent Monday, Bush and other administration officials have made concerted efforts to move quickly to help California, declaring a disaster zone in the seven counties worst hit by the barrage of wind-fuelled wild fires. The Bush administration was strongly criticized for its slow reaction following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
