(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:
"Hello everybody. I'm here in Colorado Springs, visiting some of the devastating fires that have been taking place over the last several days."
An unusual weekly address from President Barack Obama from the fire-ravaged state of Colorado.
The president, who had been given an Air Force One fly-over of the devastated area said firefighters were working round the clock to contain the blaze and pledged continued support for the state.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:
"We've been engaging in some unprecedented coordination between federal, state, and local communities to try to bring this fire under control."
The so-called Waldo Canyon fire - one of Colorado's worst-ever wildfires - has been raging for a week.
By Friday, it had scorched around 17,000 acres of timber and brush, much of it in the Pike National Forest west of Colorado Springs.
Lighter winds recently have helped more than 1,000 firefighters currently trying to corral the flames.
The fire is just one of around 50 large uncontained wildfires currently being fought across the United States.
Sunita Rappai Reuters
