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ARNOLD PRAISES FIREFIGHTER HEROES! Schwarzenegger visits California inferno! Reported By: Agence France Presse Tuesday, October 28, 2003 Arnold's current Hollywood homeland is in a disastrous state and on Monday - much of Los Angeles was up in flames. Arnold came out to support his firefighter friends and to give them praise. AFP reports: Arnold Schwarzenegger toured one of state's fire-hit zones and praised weary firefighters battling the flames as "heroes." The Governator said he would lobby the White House, top US politicians and federal disaster officials for immediate funds to help victims of the state's worst fires in 10 years when he makes his first official visit to Washington on Tuesday. "This is a huge fire, it's the biggest in the last 10 years," he told reporters after being briefed by fire chiefs on the critical situation before visiting a fire scene in Ventura county, northwest of Los Angeles. "What our firefighters have done... is extraordinary. They do unbelievable work 24 hours a day. That's why I'm out here today to visit some of them and let them know what great heroes they are," he said. "Because of the good work of all those firefighters, this has not spread further. They are risking their lives to save people's lives and their businesses and homes," he said. Schwarzenegger praised both President George W. Bush for declaring a major emergency in Southern California on Monday and outgoing Governor Gray Davis for briefing him daily on the week-old infernos. A day before his departure for his first official visit to the US capital since his October 7 landslide victory in polls that ousted Davis, he said he would be discussing the fires with top officials up to the White House. He warned Washington officials and politicians that he would press them hard for immediate funds to help fire victims following Bush's disaster declaration that should unblock funds for the stricken areas. He pledged he would "make sure the federal money will come through quickly so that people can rebuild their homes and rebuild their businesses." Bush's declaration of a disaster came as flames fanned by the region's strong Santa Ana winds devoured more than 169,000 hectares (423,000 acres) of land between the Mexican border and Ventura County, north of Los Angeles. Governor Davis on Sunday declared four counties in southern California -- Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura and San Bernardino -- disaster zones and asked Bush to follow suit to facilitate federal relief for victims. The "Terminator" star, who will officially replace Davis next month, praised the "good co-ordination" between his former foe's office and emergency services during the fires. "Everybody is working really well together," he told reporters. ----------   
 
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