Australia has finally seen some relief after months of deadly fires when rain and cooler temperatures stepped in.
The rain, even though welcomed by the people fighting off the immense fires that have already burned an area around the size of Croatia, also brought challenges for the firefighters trying to make the necessary preparations for the higher temperatures that are expected.
Unfortunately, two more people are missing in the state of New South Wales and dangerous fires could hit the country this week.
Will Rain Bring the Needed Relief?
According to the warnings by the Rural Fire Service, damp weather won’t put out the biggest and extreme fires before the situation further worsens.
The PM of Australia, Scott Morrison, has been facing criticism for his management of the crisis and he announced a $2 billion AUD as relief.
The destructive wildfires that started in September have taken the lives of 24 people and destroyed more than 2000 homes.
Sadly, 500,000,000 animals have been wiped out with more than 135 fires still burning throughout the most populous state of NSW.
However, 70 of these fires haven’t been contained yet and pose a threat to lives.
Air Quality Significantly Poor Due to Fires
The capital of Australia, Canberra, had the worst quality of air from any major city in the world this Monday because of the nearby fires.
According to the Department of Home Affairs responsible for coordination of the country’s response to disasters, non-critical staff should stay home due to the air.
Even though the reduced temperatures are a relief for the firefighters, emergency services, and the affected communities, they’re also challenging when it comes to the implementation of the tactical and strategic methods for fire management.
This Saturday, 3000 army, navy, and air force reservists were deployed to help in the fight with the fires. The government also committed 20 million AUD to lease firefighting aircrafts from overseas.
The Worst Wildfire on Record
This wildfire season is said to be the worst one in Australia on record with the blazes being encouraged by drought and extremely high temperatures.
According to scientific communities, man-made global warming plays an immense role in the fires, along with dry vegetation and trees and strong winds.
Several Hollywood celebrities have used the Golden Globe Award Ceremony to express their support for Australia with many of them emphasizing the need of fighting climate change better and faster.
Russell Crowe, born in New Zealand, but a long-term resident of Australia couldn’t attend because he was home helping with fire precautions.
Sources: