    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [October 3, 2006]
    [Page 1765]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the California Wildfires in Los Angeles, California
    October 3, 2006

        Thank you all very much for joining me on Air Force One. I had a
    briefing on the fires that have been ravaging country here in
    California. I was proud to be here with the members of the U.S. Forest
    Service--as you can see, one of the yellow shirts. These are the people
    on the frontline of fighting these fires.
        And they brought me up to date, particularly on the Day Fire. And
    that fire has been contained, which is good news for the people of
    California. I congratulate the Forest Service for their planning and
    operational planning on fighting this fire.
        I really want to thank the brave firefighters who risk their lives
    on a daily basis to contain the fires. I was briefed on the Healthy
    Forest Initiative, particularly in the urban interface, and was pleased
    to hear we're making progress on helping to contain fires once they
    start. We've got a lot more work to do. I believe Congress needs to pass
    further law that will enable us to restore forests once they've been
    burned.
        But all in all, it's been a good lesson for us to watch these Forest
    Service people do their job, and I'm really proud of them. I want to
    thank you for joining me, and I congratulate you for your good work.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:52 p.m. upon arrival at Los Angeles
    International Airport.