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Australia’s Bushfire Crisis: Sparks, Flames, and Ashes
Australia’s Bushfire Crisis: Sparks, Flames, and Ashes
An overview of the Australian bushfires from an American student's perspective.
An overview of the Australian bushfires from an American student's perspective.
By D.Dixon
February 2, 2020
cover image: SBS News via Twitter
Every image is like something out of a horror film. The darkened sky, plumes of smoke and dust looming ever so closely, animals stranded and distressed, people desperately trying to defend their homes. This is not the latest screening of a dark action movie. It’s Australia’s bushfire crisis.
The Spark
The Spark
How this fire started has been up for debate, though most sides have reached a general agreement on the cause: the weather conditions. To clear things up, it is normal for bushfires to start in Australia at this time of year. Fire season lasts from around the start of June to the end of May each year. Most of the time, fires are sparked naturally, such as through lightning strikes.
The rumors of these massive fires being caused by arson have been widely debunked, though 24 people in the Australian state of New South Wales were charged with starting several bush fires. Some government officials in the country still claim arson over climate change. Be aware that this has not been proven to be true. In a piece by the BBC’s Reality Check Team, they state, “in Queensland, police say just 114 fires out of 1,048 (about 10%) have been deliberately or recklessly lit through human involvement between September and 8 January.” Most evidence collected by experts points to climate change.
In the last decade, it has been reported that Australia is among the most vulnerable to climate change, specifically the amplified effects of natural disasters. As Andy Parsons and Russell Goldman of the New York Times put it, “Record-breaking temperatures, extended drought and strong winds have converged to create disastrous fire conditions.” Climate has quite literally created a perfect storm in Australia that allows the fires to thrive.
Matthew Abbott for the New York Times
The Flames
The Flames
As of January 23, at least 32,000 square miles have burned (almost the size of South Carolina) nearly 2,000 homes have been destroyed, at least 32 people have died. A best guess of 480 million animals have already died as said by experts at the University of Sydney, though some sources estimate the animal death toll to be about a half billion. Risky untamed fires make it nearly impossible to go through to get a definite number. The fires have mostly affected New South Wales and other southern states, though they are spread across the nation.
These fires are by far worse than the California wildfires and the Amazon rainforest fires. The heavy smoke has created an atmosphere that on some days is ranked the worst air quality in the world. Poor air quality such as this in Australia can cause long-lasting respiratory issues. Reports show that the carbon produced by these fires are the same amount the country produces in a year, excluding natural sources. In recent weeks the weather has taken some odd turns as a result of the massive fire systems. The fires are creating their own weather, which include storms and horrific fire tornadoes, such as this one on Kangaroo island:
Still from video by Brenton Davis via Facebook
In recent days, Australia is going through periods of humidity, heavy rain and flooding, mixed with irregularly high temperatures. The wet weather pattern is not a result of the firestorms, however.
The reactions to Australia’s fires have been very mixed. Many high-profile celebrities have given hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the cause. Some Americans (like Lizzo) have traveled to Australia to help out on scene. Recently, three American firefighters died in a plane crash on their way to help out in Australia. Yet still, some folks in Australia’s government continue to deny the effects of climate change and have been largely inactive regarding the situation. People in Australia are calling on their Prime Minister Scott Morrison to do something. Southern states of Australia are under a total fire ban, with fines thousands of dollars high for a tossed cigarette or other careless act. Unfortunately, a lot of these efforts are too little, too late.
The Ashes
The Ashes
Things don’t seem to improve in this case. This fire season became violent much earlier than expected, and it could possibly continue through April. Remember, Australia experiences the four seasons opposite to how America does, so our winter is their summer. The fires can get worse, though rains are said to be on their way.
Seeing all the destruction and desperation in the news may cause you to ask: what can I do to help? As a student and writer, my best advice to other students would be to simply raise awareness. Tweet, Snap, Insta, whatever. The best way to get help for those that are suffering in Australia is to get the word out. If enough people call on Australia’s government to do something, they won’t be able to ignore it. They’ll have to accept that global warming is real and its effects are devastating.
Another way is to donate. Though you are encouraged to donate, only do so if you are within financial means to do so. You could start a fundraiser. You could ask your parents to contribute a few dollars. You don’t have to spend a fortune, so please only give money if you are really sure about it. Here’s an article from the New York Times listing services that help in the Australia area: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/world/australia/help-australia-fires.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article
...and the Phoenix
...and the Phoenix
As of right now, the situation in Australia is hard to define. The fires are getting worse, the death toll increases as well as the damage. But there is still hope. Things can be done to help contain the fires. We must remember that, like a phoenix, we shall rise from the ashes, and things will once again be alright, no matter how long it takes us to get there.
Baby kangaroos relaxing after receiving treatment at a wildlife care center. Mehreen Faruqi via Twitter
NOTE: As of February 24, 2020, the Australian Fire Department has declared the largest of the fires under control. Be advised that there are still many fires actively burning, and that the effects of the fires will remain for a very long time.
Sources
Sources
Brendon Davis’ full video: https://www.facebook.com/brenton.davis.14/videos/10156790857490869/
Tarabay, J. (2020, January 21) Why These Australia Fires Are Like Nothing We’ve Seen Before. The New York Times. Retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/world/australia/fires-size-climate.html?searchResultPosition=10
Parsons, A. & Goldman, R. (2020, January 1) Why the Fires in Australia Are So Bad. The New York Times. Retrieved from:
Gunia, A. & Law, T. (2020, January 7) At Least 24 People and Millions of Animals Have Been Killed by Australia's Bushfires. Time. Retrieved from: https://time.com/5758186/australia-bushfire-size/
BBC Reality Check team. (2020, January 17) Australia fires: Is arson to blame? BBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51125898
Readfearn, G. (2020, January 30) Hot, sticky and stormy weather forecast for parts of Australia's south and south-east. The Guardian. Retrieved from:
Yeung, J. (2020, January 13) Australia's deadly wildfires are showing no signs of stopping. Here's what you need to know. CNN. Retrieved from:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/australia-fires-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html
Zarrel, M. (2020, January 7) Using US map to examine scale of massive Australia wildfires. ABC News. Retrieved from:
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