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By Ethan Cruz In the past few months, Australia has been ravaged by one of its worst wildfires since 2009. These types of wildfires are called “bushfires” because they happen in the Australian bush, which is a word for a scrub, woodland, or grassland in Australia. According to Time Magazine, 12.35 million acres of land have burned across Australia. Ecologists from the University of Sydney estimate that 480 million mammals, birds, and reptiles have been killed as a result of the fires. The ongoing bushfires have killed 30 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes, forcing thousands to seek shelter elsewhere. This is not the only big bushfire that Australia has had. According to CNN, in 2009, Australia had a wildfire that killed 173 people in Victoria alone, making it the worst wildfire that Australia has ever experienced. The fire season in Australia happens during the summer when the hot and dry weather is common, making the land more susceptible to fires. Due to safety concerns, some New Year’s fireworks displays were canceled in the Australian state of New South Wales. In mid-December, a NASA analysis stated that the bushfires emitted 250 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Kate Lewis, biology teacher, said, “When I heard about the fires, I was really sad because so much wildlife were killed and so many people lost their homes.” “Most of my family live in the city so they’re dealing with pollution because of the fires,” Ms. Lewis says, “and my cousins were living in the rural areas and they had to keep watch and get ready to evacuate.” In spite of the fires, organizations and charities are doing their best to help the victims of the Australian bushfires. The Australian fire departments and companies like the Salvation Army are accepting donations to help the people who are affected by these bushfires. The best thing you can do is to pray for the people affected by these bushfires in Australia and, if possible, send donations. https://www.unrefugees.org. au/how-you-can-help-withbushfire-crisis/
Photos from South Coast Australia during recent fire evacuations.
Photos by: Andrew Seymour
