SANTA FE, New Mexico (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the U.S. government would cover the full cost of fighting the wildfires that have ravaged New Mexico.

Joe Biden traveled to New Mexico to witness the efforts being made to fight the largest wildfires ever recorded in the state.

The United States Forest Services (USFS) started two controlled fires in April that escalated into blazes and ravaged 126,319 hectares of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes.

“We have a responsibility to help the state recover (from these fires),” the American president told elected officials and emergency services gathered in Santa Fe, the state capital.

(Reporting Trevor Hunnicutt; writing by Michael Martina; French version Camille Raynaud)