Australia is being haunted by some of the worst wildfires in decades. Large parts of the country are being destroyed since fire season started in July.
The fire season is characterized by dry, hot weather which makes it easy for the fires to kindle.
According to CNN.com, “Dry lighting was responsible for starting a number of fires in Victoria’s East Gippsland region in late December, which then traveled more than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in just five hours.”
Australia's current drought is mainly to blame for the blazing bushfires. A heatwave in December broke the record for the highest average temperature, where some places reached above 40 degrees Celsius (about 115 degrees Fahrenheit), reports Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.
The fires blaze in every Australian state, but New South Wales has been hit with the most damage. Even large cities like Melbourne and Sydney have been damaged. In early December, the air quality in Sydney was measured 11 times the hazardous level.
The damage of the wildfires has been unmatched. More than one thousand, two hundred homes have been lost in just New South Wales alone.
Even American and Canadian firefighters have joined the fight to exterminate the fires. Newsweek.com said Michelle Moore, a fire program specialist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, said there wasn’t enough retardant “in the world” to put the fires out.
“It’s to the point where firefighters aren’t all that focused on putting the fires out, and more focuses on protecting people’s homes and protecting infrastructure”, said Moore.
Roughly half a billion animals have either died or been affected by the fires through New South Wales, with millions estimated to be dead. The total number of animals that could be affected could be as high as one billion across the nation, according to ecologists from the University of Sydney, said cnn.com.
Almost a third of koalas in New South Wales may have been killed in the fires, as well as one third of their habitat being destroyed, said Australia’s Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
Species that live in small, compact environments are in high danger of being completely exterminated if their habitats are hit by the fires.
In early January, the state of Victoria declared a state of disaster, while New South Wales declared a state of emergency. These both grant more powers and additional government resources to battle the fires.
There are more than two thousand firefighters working to extinguish the fires in New South Wales alone, while the United States, Canada, and New Zealand have sent even more additional firefighters to help.
Many people in Australia and all over the world have pitched in efforts to help the fires.
One fundraiser for fire services in New South Wales, created by Australia comedian Celeste Barber, raised more than Australian $20 million dollars in 48 hours, with now raising over Australian $30 million.
Many celebrities have offered large sums of money to help the fires. These include Pink, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Elton John, and Chris Hemsworth.
To donate, there are multiple GoFundMe and reputable websites to contribute to.