Helping Australia’s Wildfire Victims
As of Thursday morning, ongoing wildfires continued to ravage Australia. At least 15 people died, 17 went missing , and approximately ten million acres and 1,000 homes were destroyed in New South Wales, one of the worst-hit states; It is estimated that at least 12 million acres have been burned across the country. The fires have also devastated national park lands and affected air quality in major cities such as Sydney .
Wildfires are common in Australia, but severe drought and winds, in addition to intense heat, have resulted in particularly devastating fire outbreaks. Many firefighters are also volunteers. And since the summer season is just beginning in Australia, it is unlikely that conditions will improve immediately. If you want to help those affected by the ongoing fires, there are several ways you can do it:
- On behalf of the three volunteer firefighters who died this fire season, the NSW Rural Fire Service will accept donations to benefit their families. Please visit their website to donate. A separate GoFundMe page was also created on behalf of their families.
- The Saint Vincent de Paul Society accepts donations on behalf of the evacuees. $ 50 will provide food for the evacuated family. $ 150 will help pay bills and incidental fire-related expenses.
- The Salvation Army’s emergency services are currently providing food for evacuees and front line helpers. Please visit their website to donate.
For local updates, Google has a crisis map built for wildfires.
This post will be updated with more information on donation options when it becomes available.