El Cajon, Calif. ? President Bush on Tuesday toured the charred forests and communities of San Diego County, as forecasts of weekend rain intensified concerns about possible mudslides in the more than 740,000 acres stripped bare by Southern California’s fires.

“When people see the scope of the fires, the historic nature of the fires, they’ll realize what a superhuman effort you all put in to save lives,” the president told firefighters in Alpine. “We’ve seen the worst of nature” but the “absolute best of mankind.”

Bush, Gov. Gray Davis and Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger viewed the destruction of the massive Paradise and Cedar fires from the presidential helicopter before touching down in the seared community of Harbison Canyon.

White House officials ensured that the president alone was seen consoling fire victims. Davis and Schwarzenegger were sent on their own tour while Bush hugged residents of Harbison Canyon, 28 miles east of San Diego, amid a breathtaking tableau of destruction.

“The best thing I can do is to listen and hug and empathize as best as I can empathize,” a moist-eyed Bush told reporters at the end of a 40-minute walking tour of Harbison Canyon.

The president acknowledged that he had brought no additional federal fire aid for Southern California. The federal government has promised about $3 million in assistance, which is about $1,000 for each of the more than 3,400 homes that burned.

Firefighters fully contained the Cedar fire, the largest of the wildfires, Tuesday morning and expected to contain the four others by this morning.

President Bush views fire damage with San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob during a tour of Harbison Canyon, outside of San Diego. Bush toured the area Tuesday and met with residents who lost their homes in the wildfires.