What you can do (safely) to help Australia's fires
Since September there are numerous forest fires that have been declared in the southeast of Australia burning more than five million hectares of land, killing millions of wild animals (according to the University of Sydney almost a third of the koalas in New South Wales have lost their lives), forcing thousands of Australians from their homes and causing smoke to travel some 4,000 kilometers to New Zealand .
Although fires have been recorded in every state in Australia, most are concentrated in New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital, and some can be seen from the city of Adelaide. Despite the presence of about 2,000 firefighters fighting the flames relentlessly, the fire shows no sign of letting up.
Taking into account that the fire season extends between December and March, new fires are expected, especially after a year in which a severe drought has been recorded. Therefore, there are different ways to help those who fight against the flames and those who have suffered its consequences.
DONATE MONEY FOR FIREFIGHTERS
Many of the Australian firefighters who are working on the ground are volunteers and you can follow their work through ** the Twitter account of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service **, which provides daily data.
You can donate to volunteer fire teams, as a whole or to a specific brigade in New South Wales, through ** the fire service website **. For example, Australian actress Celeste Barber has started a fundraising campaign through Facebook that she has already raised nearly $28 million which has been donated to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
Among the fatalities that have already been claimed by the fires are three volunteer firefighters, so the New South Wales Rural Fire Service has launched a website to collect donations for their families.
in the neighbor victoria State, where melbourne is located Country Fire Authority is raising funds through the Bushfire Disaster Appeal to support their volunteer firefighters and help affected communities.
BEGIN RECOVERY
A number of organizations are already helping victims who have lost their homes, farms and other property in the fires. For example, The St. Vincent de Paul Society has specific portals to collect donations for victims of forest fires and those who are suffering the consequences of extreme drought in Australia.
For affected Australian farmers, some of whom have lost their entire crops or herds in the fires, **BlazeAid is helping to rebuild farm fences so they can get back to work.** You can donate funds to provide building supplies and materials to BlazeAid volunteers.
For its part, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are also raising funds to provide help, housing and what they may need to the victims of the fires. In both cases, donations are managed from its natural disaster fund, It encompasses more than just forest fires.
FIGHT FOR THE ANIMALS
Koalas are a species that is particularly susceptible to fire. According to the University of Sydney, Almost a third of the koalas in New South Wales have lost their lives. The port macquarie koala hospital is raising funds that will go to build stations where they can drink and future breeding programs.
However, koals are not the only animals that need help: pets and livestock are also at risk. The RSPCA in New South Wales is raising funds to help with animal rescues, evacuations, sheltering and helping injured animals as a result of the fires.
*Article translated from Condé Nast Traveler USA.