If you’ve turned on the TV or logged onto social media lately, odds are you’ve seen, heard, or read something about a large part of Australia being quite literally on fire. This is certainly real news.
Since July, Australia has been suffering from its fire season. Thus far, 27 people have died and an estimated one billion animals have lost their lives. The fires have affected every state in Australia, but New South Wales has been the most impacted. Major cities, like Melbourne and Sydney, have been affected. The fires have destroyed homes and filled the sky and air with smoke- enough for the air quality to measure 11 times the hazardous level. Fires vary in size and duration, some of which have been incessant for months and are the size of entire cities, taking up around 18 million acres of land total.
Why are the fires occurring? Extreme heat, drought, and winds make it easy in Australia for fires to start and spread during the summer. However, some people have been arrested for starting fires themselves. Lightning has also started fires in dry areas. While fire season is expected in Australia, the 2019-2020 season has been record-breaking, with temperatures rising above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Experts confirm climate change has worsened the scope of fires like those in Australia, and natural disasters, overall.
What can you do to help? There are two kinds of organizations you can make donations to, the victim Relief and Recovery and Wildlife Rescue and treatment groups. For human victim relief, organizations include the Australian Red Cross, Salvation Army Australia, the NSW Rural Fire Service, and St. Vincent de Paul Society Australia.
For wildlife aid, groups include WIRES, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, and Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.
While every dollar counts, spreading the word on social media and to your family and friends is also important. If you are not able to donate, educating others on how they can help is free.
Sources:
https://time.com/5753584/bushfires-australia-catastrophic-fire-alert/?amp=true
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/australia-fires-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html