BRUNSWICK - As the cost of wildfires continues to escalate from the flames that have burned nearly 585,000 acres in southeast Georgia and northern Florida, President Bush on Tuesday delivered a promise of help.
During his visit to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, Bush met with high-ranking forestry and emergency management officials from Georgia and Florida and pledged federal aid.
"I've come down to let people know we are concerned about their livelihood," the president said. "Right now, the coordination is good in terms of fighting the fires. The question is: How can we help them even more?"
The fires, which began in mid-April, have been fueled by drought conditions that have dried up swamps and wetlands that typically serve as fire barriers. The current wave of wildfires amounts to one of the largest ever to hit the South.
It was not immediately clear how much federal assistance will be sent to the region, but the costs escalate each day as more than 1,500 firefighters from across the nation continue to battle the blazes.
As of Tuesday, it has cost an estimated $46.6 million so far to fight the fires.
Officials have estimated that the fires are about 75 percent contained, but re-burns are occurring frequently as the wind changes direction and brings the smoldering embers back to life.
Morris News Service and The Associated Press contributed to this report.