AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

After visiting the areas ravaged by the Colorado wildfires, President Obama is urging Americans to pitch in and contribute to the recovery effort, saying "this is a good reminder of what makes us Americans. We don't just look out for ourselves; we look out for each other."

"One of the things that happens here in America is when we see our fellow citizens in trouble and having difficulty, we come together as one American family, as one community," the president said in his weekly address.

"You see that spirit and you see that strength here in Colorado Springs, where people are working together, promising each other to rebuild. We've got to make sure that we are there with them every step of the way, even after this fire is put out," he said.

On Friday, the president toured some of the areas devastated by the worst wildfires in Colorado's history. He personally thanked the firefighters and first responders for working hard to control the blaze.

In his address, the president urged Americans to contribute to the American Red Cross, saying, "they're very active in this community."

"We're going to continue to make sure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Forest Service, our military and National Guard and all the resources that we have available at the federal level are brought to bear in fighting this fire," he added.

The president said it's important for Americans to understand and appreciate the important work done by firefighters and first responders all across the country.

"It's important that we remember what they do each and every single day, and that we continue to provide support to our first responders, our emergency management folks, our firefighters, our military - everybody who helps secure our liberty and our security each and every day," he said.

"I hope you guys remember the[se] folks during these times of need. I know this is a little bit unusual - we don't usually do weekly addresses like this, but I thought it was a good opportunity for us to actually focus attention on a problem that's going on here in Colorado Springs. We never know when it might be our community that's threatened, and it's important that we're there for them," the president said.

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