ESCONDIDO -- President Bush on Thursday visited a Rancho Bernardo neighborhood devastated by the recent wildfires and shook hands with firefighters at Kit Carson Park in Escondido during a four-hour tour of San Diego County.

Bush saw by air and on foot the result of fires that have raced through canyons and neighborhoods since Sunday.

"We've got a big problem out here," Bush said during a speech at the park in Escondido. "We want the people to know there's a better day ahead -- that today your life may look dismal, but tomorrow life's going to be better. And to the extent that the federal government can help you, we want to do so."

Bush and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., arrived at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station to smoke-filled skies at about 9:30 a.m. They met several dignitaries, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach; Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon; and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista.

Shortly after 10 a.m., Bush touched down at San Pasqual High School in Escondido following a helicopter tour of the fire-damaged area surrounding Lake Hodges. A motorcade took him to a neighborhood in Rancho Bernardo, where a host of homes were destroyed.

Bush stepped through rubble on Lancashire Way, where some unscathed Mediterranean-style homes stood next to mere shells of others. He met Jay and Kendra Jeffcoat near a spiral staircase amid the rubble that used to be their home.

"Those of us who are here in government, our hearts are right here with the Jeffcoats," the president said, his arm draped around Kendra Jeffcoat. Holding her dog, Trevor, she fought back tears and Bush kissed her on the head.

The president shook hands at a makeshift disaster assistance center where government agencies and private companies were providing help to residents. But his visit caused frustration among some residents who were stuck in traffic behind the president's motorcade.

Police put a hold on all traffic -- including cars headed into the assistance center parking lot and residents hoping to go into a nearby neighborhood for roughly two hours because of the presidential meet-and-greet session.

"I lost already four hours, I can't stay here no more," one man in a black Nissan sedan said before making an abrupt U-turn out of the area as the police started to shut down the roadway at 9 a.m.

Once the traffic finally started moving again at about 11:30 a.m., police had good news for residents of the burned-out neighborhood -- they could go back to their homes for the first time since the fire without needing a police escort.

From there, the president's motorcade passed charred hillsides on the way north to Escondido, where he looked at that area's damage and addressed reporters, as well as hundreds of tired-looking firefighters.

"We can't thank people enough for putting their lives at risk to help a neighbor," Bush said.

Amid the rubble, there were lingering memories of the federal government's slow response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 more than two years ago. Bush was asked to compare the two.

"There's all kinds of time for historians to compare this response to that response," he said.

Schwarzenegger, standing next to Bush on a cul-de-sac, said the president reached out to him earlier this week before he even had a chance to make the call himself. "I call this quick action -- quicker than I expected, I can tell you that," the governor said.

At Kit Carson Park, Bush offered his reassurance.

"We're not going to forget you in Washington, D.C.," he said.

Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler was among those at the park listening to the president's remarks. Pfeiler confirmed that more than 70 homes were damaged during the fires, but said firefighters saved many more.

The mayor said she was pleased by the president's visit and his assurance that federal help would be available.

"I think that's important," she said. "We'll fight the fire, but trying to rebuild your life is the tough part."

The Associated Press, pool reports and staff writer Barbara Henry contributed to this story. Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.