Dozens of fires erupted last November in New South Wales, Australia. The fires spread rapidly across the entire continent to become one of the most devastating on record. An area of roughly 15 million acres has gone up in flames, with more than 1,000 houses destroyed, and hundreds more damaged. Blazes continued to intensify during the days leading up to New Year’s Eve, forcing thousands of people out of their homes.
According to The Verge, “Although there have been fires across all of Australia’s six states, New South Wales has suffered the worst. Nearly half a billion animals, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, likely lost their lives in the fires in New South Wales alone. About 30 percent of the koalas’ habitat has also been wiped out. The devastation only adds to existing pressures on Australia’s unique ecosystems.”
One thing you should keep in mind is that in Australia, summer extends from December to February, with the season for Australian wildfires reaching its peak in late January and/or early February. Therefore, the disaster is expected to unfortunately continue and might even get worse.
How you can help?
So if you would like to take part in helping the firefighters and other volunteer services, there’re a number of organizations taking action to support the affected communities. Scroll down to check out the links below.
1. Donate to Australia’s Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund
2. Donate to The NSW Rural Fires Service to support the firefighting in New South Wales
3. The Country Fire Service in South Australia accepts direct donations
4. You can also donate to Foodbank to help people in need during the crisis
5. The RSPCA Bushfire Appeal is actually doing a great job in evacuating animals from disaster zones, and in protecting pets, livestock, and wildlife affected by bushfires.
