California ? President Bush offered federal help and encouragement Thursday to some of the 25,000 firefighters working under a blazing sun to contain wildfires that make up the single largest fire event ever recorded in California.

Since a huge lightning storm on June 21, about 2,010 separate fires have ignited across California, ravaging nearly 900,000 acres. Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in 12 counties affected by the wildfires and has called in the California National Guard to help.

Bush took an aerial tour with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to survey fire damage in the 2.1 million acre Shasta-Trinity National Forest, the largest in California.

Schwarzenegger said that 80 percent of the country’s fire resources for firefighting were now deployed in California.

“I’d like to let the people out here know that we’re paying attention in Washington, D.C.,” Bush said. “We care about you and we’ll respond as best as we possibly can.”