As of today, more than five million hectares of Australian land has been lost to bushfire this season.
We’ve lost 19 human lives – three of which were volunteer firefighters.
We’ve lost 480 million – almost half a billion – animal lives.
At least 1400 homes have been destroyed.
But these are just the numbers, these figures don’t put into perspective the emotional turmoil, the fear, the worry, the heartbreak.
Here’s an insight into the fear. Tracey and her family ran for their lives last week as fire licked its way up their holiday home. Post continues after video.
If we were to compare the destruction on a global scale, the 2019 Amazon fires (across four countries) destroyed 906,000 hectares, and the California fires burnt 102,000 hectares. The fires in NSW alone have burnt through an area the size of Belgium.
The fires in Australia right now are unprecedented. The scale of this disaster is unfathomable.
The even more terrifying reality is that they’re far from over. Yes, the fires are still burning, but we’re also now facing a humanitarian crisis because of the scale and unrelenting nature of them.
Victoria’s Gippsland.
A state of disaster has now been declared in Victoria.
The number of people missing in the bushfire-affected communities of the East Gippsland region has risen from 17 overnight to 30.
Another person has been confirmed dead, taking the death toll in the state to two.
Buchan resident Mick Roberts was found dead at his home. The identity of the second fatality isn’t yet known, but it’s believed the man suffered a medical episode while fighting the fires.
As authorities search for those still missing, residents in the East Gippsland and Alpine areas have been urged to leave now ahead of the weekend. They’re being told they have a “small window of opportunity” to get out.
About 24 communities are isolated and reaching them to deliver supplies has been difficult.
We’re being told the conditions will be even worse than this tomorrow.
NSW South Coast.
A State of Emergency has been announced for the state from today and for the next seven days.
Over the past few days, eight lives and around 400 homes have been lost in NSW alone, with the latest death confirmed this morning.
A 72-year-old man’s body was found in Belowra.
On New Year’s Eve a father and son who were killed at Cabargo trying to save their property from the flames.
Patrick Salway’s wife posted emotionally on Facebook after the death of both her beloved husband and father-in-law.
Volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, 28, died after his truck flipped near the NSW-Victoria border on December 30. His wife is four months pregnant with their first child.
Communities in the area are still in immediate danger and crisis.
Phones remain cut across sections of the region and people are struggling to communicate with the outside world – even to just get the latest information on the fire risk.
At least 40 power poles have been destroyed, as have conductors. As NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons explained, “it’s not just about rocking up with a generator and plugging it in,” adding that there were “three big issues: power, communications and food.”
Kosciuszko National Park has now been evacuated due to fire threat and new communities like Batlow are under threat – locals there have been told their town will not be defendable.
The Dunns Road fire, which is threatening the town, is also threatening a nearby prison, after burning through 130,000 hectares in recent days.
How can you help?
The best way to help is cash.
If you’d like to donate money, head to places like the Salvation Army, the Australian Red Cross or any of the state-based fire brigades like the NSW RFS.
Charities are asking for people to pause before trying to donate “things.” There are lists of wanted items on charity organisation websites for clothing/food/essentials. We’re being urged to check what’s needed before sending.
As Givit told the ABC, they’ve had to plead for people not to drop or send donations to affected areas, because it’s actually hindering not helping.
For more on how to help the firefighters specifically, we’ve done a full post here.
For creative different ways to lend a hand, there are plenty of ideas here.
… And there’s more.
Mamamia Out Loud, our bi-weekly podcast, is coming to Melbourne for a live show, with 100 per cent of all ticket proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross disaster relief and recovery fund.
It’s a brand new show, full of laughs and news and opinions and a few special surprises, with Mia Freedman, Holly Wainwright and Jessie Stephens, on February the 11th. You can buy tickets right now at mamamia.com.au/events. See you there!
With AAP.
Feature image: Twitter @ShaneMallardMP/Seven.
To support those affected by Australia’s devastating bushfire crisis, you can donate to the Australian Red Cross disaster relief and recovery fund. Your money will go towards supporting thousands of people in evacuation centres, emergency assistance including cash grants to people who have lost their homes, psychological first aid, and helping communities prepare for future disaster.
Top Comments
Now we have a humanitarian crisis with towns out of water, food, fuel etc. The army and navy have been brought in, so that "it's a state issue" excuse goes right out the window.
Defence Force personnel/equipment have been deployed, but it is up to each state to decide how those resources are best used. Morrison's leadership has been somewhat lacking, but no worse than the bevy of politicians who have taken off overseas on their taxpayer funded jaunts/holidays and that includes Daniel Andrews whonhas now returned. I wonder where Richard di .natale is?
I don't care about the other politicians. Morrison is the PM.
He wanted the job. He has the job. Now he has to do the damn job.
Di Natale is a senator in a minor party and therefore doesn’t have any practical way he can provide resources. Despite that he has been very outspoken about the need to support firefighters and victims- he tweets at least once a day with updates and support. He has been about 10x more vocal on these issues than ScoMo with less than 1/10 of the power or responsibility- so if you want an example of responsible and compassionate leadership in a crisis then you couldn’t do better than Di Natale.
You can't even get close to comparing the leader of a tiny minority party, like Di Natale, with the leader of the executive branch of government, Morrison. Such empty point scoring is not only on terrible taste, it's contributing to the useless noise around what is a very simple issue. Australia needs to have long term plans to deal with climate change, they need to be real and they need to be enacted now. Alongside long term plans, short term plans, such as providing adequate equipment and funding to volunteer fire fighters, appointing a federal commissioner to coordinate federal response to emergencies and enabling the secondment of military equipment and personnel to state firefighting efforts.
I'm still seeing conservative desperadoes banging on about greenies blockading hazard reduction. What BS. Hazard reduction was stymied by the danger of undertaking them in tinder dry conditions. A problem exacerbated by climate change.
In NSW at least, the hazard reduction programs were overseen by government bodies under a LNP government. These were LNP policies and their management. Morrison refused to fund additional aerial fire fighting equipment, despite warnings from fire authorities. Stop blame shifting and point scoring and hold the government of the day to account.
The LNP have thwarted action for a decade, half the country is burning, tangible climate policy and effort NOW.